Tiger Baiting
by wideopeneyes
Summary: Previously Untitled. Rikku is doing her very, very best to seduce Gippal. The only problem is that he has no idea she's intentionally baiting him. He thinks she's just Cid's sweet, innocent girl who has absolutely no idea how sexy she is.
1. Chapter 1

He wanted her. She _knew_ he did. Lately he'd been looking at her like she was some sort of delicious popsicle and he wanted to lick her all over, and oh, god, she wanted to _let_ him. Only, for some strange reason, he _wouldn't_. She'd sunk to more sneaky, underhanded tactics than she'd _ever_ used before, and still he steadfastly resisted her every seduction attempt. Maybe she wasn't being obvious enough?

Not that she'd _actually_ just drop herself in his lap with some sort of cheesy pick-up line, like 'is that a wrench in your pocket or are you just happy to see me'but _damn_, was he really _that_ clueless? If she weren't such a firm believer in being the pursued and not the pursuer, she would've tried that _ages_ ago. And she was making it so _easy_ for him to just give up and give in and _take her to bed already_, but he just _wasn't_ taking the bait, and she didn't know how long she would last without just jumping him herself.

So what was she doing wrong? She was vamping him in every way she knew how, so why wasn't it _working_? For fuck's sake, how _hard_ could it be to get him in bed?

-

Had her skirt gotten shorter? No, that was a virtual impossibility. Maybe it was just the way she crossed and uncrossed those long, tanned legs of hers. And maybe it was the bending over. Oh, god, the _bending over_. Like he needed an excuse to get another look at her fabulous backside. And it seemed that she was always finding excuses to nap on his couch, looking so amazingly fuckable lying there that he almost always had to retreat to his workshop to find a productive outlet for all his sexual frustration because surely Rikku didn't have a _clue_ what she was doing to him. And inevitably when he went back inside she was just waking up and stretching, presenting those magnificent breasts just so _perfectly_ that he'd have to go back out and take apart a machine and spend another hour putting it back together just so he could forget about stretching her out on the couch while she was so warm and soft and sleepy-sexy and having his way with her.

And so he took cold showers. Lots of cold showers. _Man_, he was getting sick of cold showers.

But she was _Rikku_, and she was Cid's sweet, innocent little girl. Probably she didn't even know what sex _was_, and probably she'd die of shock if he ever came on to her. And so there was just no tactful way to say anything like, 'Hey, kid, by the way, whenever you bend over I get the most wonderful view of your ass and if _you'd_ stop bending over I bet _I _could stop fantasizing about fucking you on my kitchen table'.

Yeah. That would go over _so_ well.

So he'd have to make do with cold showers and handjobs. Not that he couldn't get what he needed from a woman, but really the only one he wanted lately was Rikku. And things could get pretty bad for him if he called the wrong woman by Rikku's name. Probably it would get back to her, and she'd leave Djose and take that fabulous body with her.

And really, how could Rikku _not know_ that he would die to have her? _Nobody_ could be _that_ oblivious. Not that he expected her to just plop down on his lap with some cheesy pick-up line, like, 'nice shoes, wanna fuck?' but _still_. He figured men were pretty transparent when they wanted something and damned if he didn't want _her_ more than anything.

Just watching her flutter around his kitchen was something akin to torture. He was seeing seductive movements and come-hither glances where there _obviously_ were none. God, he needed to get laid _so badly_.

She nibbled her lower lip, reaching for a bag of lollipops high on a shelf, fingertips stretching, standing on the very tips of her toes. Her skirt rode a little higher on her thighs and he suppressed a shudder.

"Gippal?" She looked at him through sooty lashes, a tiny sheepish half-smile curving her lips. "I'm not tall enough. Could you…?"

He sighed, moving around the table to snag the bag off the shelf. He didn't want to be so close to her – he could smell her perfume, something like vanilla and cinnamon that made her smell good enough to eat, which was an attractive enough concept even _without_ her delicious perfume.

"Thank you." She took the bag from him, slinking across to the sturdy wooden table, and taking a seat on it. She kicked her legs like a child, fishing a lollipop from the bag, and quickly dispensing with the wrapper. She popped the cherry-red candy into her mouth, and Gippal twitched, flushing guiltily.

It was just _Cid's girl_ enjoying a lollipop; he definitely should not be entertaining thoughts of her sucking on _other things_ with so much relish. He turned away, determined to get his mind off of her talented mouth. He opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, then rummaged through a drawer in search of the bottle opener. When he finally got the damn thing open, he peeked back at her to find her watching him curiously. She slid the lollipop out of her mouth, licking her lips. Gippal turned away, tilted his head back and chugged down the beer in one long swallow.

"Hey, take it easy!" She hopped off the table, pounding on his back as he leaned over the counter and gasped for breath. "It's only three in the afternoon. Should you _really_ be going at the alcohol so hard and heavy this early?"

Of course, alcohol was _not_ the thing he wanted to go at _hard and heavy_, but somehow he didn't think Rikku would appreciate his little witticism. _And oh god he could smell her again. _It took every ounce of his willpower not to bury his face in her hair and have a good, long sniff. His fingers itched. His cock _throbbed_. And the beer wasn't doing a goddamn thing.

"I gotta go."

He looked and sounded a little panicked, and Rikku felt a momentary twinge of guilt for putting him in such an uncomfortable position. Probably the lollipop had been a dirty trick. But couldn't he take a _hint_? She'd done everything but wear a goddamn neon _sign_.

_Something _was going to have to change. He was resisting marvelously, and she didn't know how much more obvious she could get without hopping naked into bed with him. And with his twitchiness lately, she imagined he'd probably just throw her out, anyway. _Clearly_ he was lusting after her, but why the hell wouldn't he _do_ anything about it?

Was he resisting her on _principle_ or something? Did he get his kicks watching her wiggle her way around his temple in what seemed to be a futile effort to get him in the sack? She wrinkled her nose. _Losing_ was not an option. She'd _never_ lost before. She always knew exactly what she wanted and she always knew exactly how to get it, and she wasn't about to start losing now just because Gippal was a little reticent. She didn't even know _why_ he was so twitchy about it. She _knew_ he wanted her, so what was the big deal?

Well, hell. She'd just have to try harder. She'd triumphed over Sin _and_ Vegnagun, after all. Compared to them, wearing down Gippal should be a piece of cake.


	2. Chapter 2

"I give him a week," Yuna snickered.

"A week?" Paine made a face. "He was in the Crimson Squad, give the man a little credit." She sipped her water thoughtfully. "I give him ten days."

"I don't know," Rikku sighed. "He's been doing a wonderful job of holding back so far." She swirled her straw in her strawberry milkshake. "It's like it's some sort of _game_ for him. You know, letting me make an idiot of myself falling all over him."

Yuna pursed her lips. "Rikku, he doesn't actually _know_ you're coming on to him."

"That's ridiculous, how could he not know? I've done everything but wrap myself up in a ribbon," Rikku scoffed.

"Think about it for minute. You're Uncle Cid's daughter. To Gippal, you're probably like some sort of untouchable princess or something. I'm pretty sure he thinks you don't have the slightest idea what you're doing to him. That's probably why he's going around complaining about having to take cold showers." Yuna smothered a giggle.

"_Cold showers_?" Rikku spluttered. "Who's he been complaining about cold showers to?"

"Tidus," Yuna supplied helpfully.

"And Nooj and Baralai," Paine added. "And pretty much anyone who'll listen. Nooj says he's never seen a guy more sexually frustrated."

"Well, if he'd just take a hint, maybe he wouldn't _need_ cold showers anymore." Rikku sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Like I said," Paine finished off her dessert, smiling knowingly. "I give him ten days, tops, before he gives up and goes for it. A guy can only take so much."

-

It took all of thirty minutes for Rikku to realize that Gippal's delusions were a blessing in disguise. It was going to be deliciously fun to find out how far she could push him, to find out exactly how he was going to rationalize her odd behavior. Would he see through her finally, or would he steadfastly hold on to his illusions? And what would he do when he discovered her little game? There were really no drawbacks, and at the very least he'd be an excellent source of amusement for the next week to ten days that Yuna and Paine had given him. Gleefully she made her way back towards Djose, formulating her next plan of attack.

-

He was going to have to have a talk with Cid's girl. And not just _any_ talk. _The_ talk. The talk Cid _should_ have had with her when she started wearing those skimpy little outfits around men who were _painfully_ aware that she really wasn't a child anymore. She really did need to know the effect that she could have on men, and, while she might not _intend_ to be so sexy, it seemed that she exuded sensuality from every pore. It just wasn't _right_. Every time she got within a yard of him he got harder than a fucking _cinderblock_ and she _didn't even know_.

There was a soft knock on his door, and he jumped, startled. The moment of truth, at last. He cleared his throat.

"Come in."

The door opened and Rikku shuffled in. She closed the door softly behind her and linked her hands behind her back.

"You wanted to see me?" She swirled a circle on the ground with the toe of her boot, looking up at him through those long lashes. She nibbled her lower lip, looking every inch a child waiting to be chastised. "Did I do something wrong?"

Wrong? No, _god_, no. She was the best damn mechanic he'd ever had!

"No, no, nothing like that," he hastened to assure her. "I just thought we should have a little talk, that's all." So far, so good.

"A talk? About what?" She rocked forward on her heels, the image of childlike innocence.

"Have a seat, then we'll talk." He motioned to the small couch set opposite his desk. She obediently plopped down, crossing her legs, exposing several more inches of golden skin.

Oh, he was going _straight_ to hell.

"Look, when Cid sent you here, I was all for it. You're a fantastic mechanic, an asset to the faction." He didn't trust himself to sit too close to her, so instead he took a seat on the arm of the couch. She listened intently, all wide green eyes, soft pink lips, and silky blonde hair.

"But you're a girl," he continued in a rush, "the only one in the faction, and I don't think the other workers think of you as 'just one of the guys'."

"I don't understand."

Of _course_ she didn't understand. Understanding would be too _easy_. He was going to have to spell it out to her. Damn.

"What I'm trying to say is that when you're dressed like _that_, you make men think of…of _things_." God, how _awkward_ was he? Like she was going to understand any of _that_ nonsense!

"You don't like my clothes?" She looked and sounded hurt. Her eyes welled with tears. Making her cry was worse than lusting after her. It wasn't _her_ fault that she was gorgeous. He felt like an ass.

"No, of course I do!" Damn, just _where_ had this conversation gone wrong? "But they're a little revealing, and I sure as hell don't employ any monks." _Get the reference, get the reference, oh, pleasepleaseplease get the reference!_

Comprehension dawned in her eyes. "_Oh_." Her eyes narrowed just a bit. "You're talking about _sex_," she added in a conspiratorial whisper.

There _was_ a god, after all! He'd suddenly become a religious person.

"You distract the men when you're dressed like that." He raked his fingers through his hair. "It's too…provocative."

"Provocative?" She leaned towards him a little. "Do you mean that you think I'm…sexy?"

God, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, _yes_!

"No!" He jumped up, but she followed. "Look, what _I_ think doesn't matter." It was just that he was walking around bent over at the waist and he _really_ hated it when other men undressed her with their eyes.

"Gippal?" Her palm touched his chest, and he just _knew_ she could feel the thunderous pounding of his heart beneath her fingers. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

He didn't _feel_ so good, either. But that might have something to do with his month-long hard-on. Obviously the decreased blood flow to his brain had addled his wits.

"I've gotta go." Or _come_, depending on how you looked at it. "I've got…stuff to do." He made for the door, panicked. Another day, another cold shower.

-

The minute the door closed behind him, Rikku gave way to the laughter she'd been holding back from the moment she'd realized he'd been trying to give her the 'sex talk'. She figured he must _really _be getting desperate if he'd undergone _that_ humiliating episode in the futile attempt to get her to realize what she'd been doing to him.

It really _was_ a lot of fun to see him get all twitchy and panicked. She anticipated a _very_ entertaining week.


	3. Chapter 3

If he didn't know better, he would've _sworn_ she was doing it all deliberately. But that was impossible. How could she possibly know how he felt about her? She was still just a kid playing at being a woman, completely unaware of how that pretty young body affected the men around her.

And yeah, she'd _kind of_ complied with his request to wear more work-appropriate attire, but still…her idea of "work-appropriate" was sick. _Really_ sick. Sure, they covered all the necessary bits, but only _just_. And when she took her usual afternoon nap on his couch, her button-up shirt hitched to just beneath her breasts, making her look deliciously rumpled – as though someone had just run his hands up her smooth, bare stomach. It was just as provocative as her skimpy little bikini, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it since _technically_ she was complying with his new dress-code rule.

And, oh, god, when she shifted a little in her sleep, her skirt drifted up just enough for him to get a peek at those delicate little lacy panties she'd be favoring lately. And he just couldn't stop looking at her. Especially when the air-conditioner switched on. She shivered and it became obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra beneath that thin blouse.

He told himself he was just going to cover her with a blanket, because she was _obviously_ cold and he really, really needed to get her covered up before he gave into temptation. His fingers caught the blanket draped across the back of the couch, pulling it off, and he made the mistake of looking down while leaning over her. She was just so _beautiful_ lying there, face peaceful and relaxed in sleep, one hand resting over her midriff. Her chest rose and fell with her deep, even breathing.

He didn't even know how it happened. One minute he was just standing there, leaning over her, and the next he was kneeling on the floor beside the couch, easing his hand up under her shirt. His fingers brushed one peaked nipple lightly, just a tiny, delicate touch. Just one touch, and that would be enough. She was never going to know. Her skin was so soft, so smooth that he could hardly tell he was actually touching her. He might not of known at all except that in her sleep she moved just a bit and gave a soft, approving sigh. He watched her face carefully, searching for even the slightest sign of wakefulness. There was nothing; she was still breathing deeply, and her warm skin pressed against his fingers with every breath.

"Gippal…"  
He jumped, jerking his fingers out from under her shirt like he'd been burned. But she wasn't awake. She made a little sound, as though mourning the loss of warmth, of his hands on her skin. Why had she said _his_ name in that husky, sexy voice? Why had she sighed it, like she'd been waiting for his touch, welcoming his hands on her? It just didn't make any sense. And what was _he_ doing anyway, _touching_ her like that? It was a bad idea all around. He couldn't just go around putting his hands up Cid's girl's shirt. God, what if she had woken up?

Irritated and a little confused, he flung the blanket over her. She came awake with a little gasp, surprised.

"Gippal! What…?" She stared up at him, wide-eyed, clutching the blanket to her chin.

"What?" He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "You looked cold; I brought you a blanket. Not that I should be encouraging you to sleep on company time, anyway."

"Oh." She bit her lip. "Okay."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "I just…I think I had…a strange dream."

He prided himself on his poker face. "That's what you get for sleeping on my couch. You've got a room with a bed. Use it."

"Harsh." She made a face, struggling up onto her elbows to argue with him, but he was already walking out the door to his workshop. The door slammed behind him, and she grinned. Oh, it was just so _easy_ to get to him. If she'd known how easy it would be to get him to touch her, she would've tried that so much earlier. If only he hadn't been so obviously paranoid about waking her up!

She wondered what he'd thought when he'd heard her say his name. Had he been surprised? Pleased? Would it make any difference at all? She couldn't wait to find out.

-

"Gippal?" Her voice echoed down the hall. It was late; too late for her to be coming 'home' from a night out with Yuna and Paine, but he wasn't about to chastise her for something she would undoubtedly throw right back in his face as something he himself had often made a habit of in the past.

Still, he wondered if he could manage to close and lock his door without her hearing before she could reach him. It would definitely be a good idea to keep her out of his bedroom.

"Hey, are you still awake?" She peeked around the doorframe.

"Yeah, kid, what is it?" He'd taken to calling her 'kid' again. It was supposed to be a reminder to both of them. She was _not_ for him.

"I need a favor." She lowered her eyes momentarily. "Can you help me with my zipper?"

He choked. "_What_?"

"It's stuck, I think. Anyway, it's too high and I can't get it by myself. There's no one else here to ask, and I _really_ don't want to sleep in this dress, it's _killing_ me." She stepped casually through the doorway, and he about had heart failure. That _thing_ was _not_ a dress.

"Where did you wear _that_?"

"Oh, you know." She waved a hand vaguely. "There's this club in Luca that Yuna likes, when she can get away. It was ladies night, free drinks." She grinned.

"You haven't been drinking, have you?" He asked warily. She wrinkled her nose.

"Of course not. I'm not old enough yet." She sauntered closer to where he was seated at his desk, and he was painfully aware that there was a comfortably bed nearby and she was practically naked. Probably she wasn't wearing underwear. Hell, underwear would be less revealing than that ridiculous concoction she had the gall to call a _dress_. He was surprised that it had enough material to require a zipper.

"There are always plenty of guys willing to buy a pretty girl a drink, regardless of her age." Damn! He shouldn't have said that. When was he going to learn to keep his big mouth _shut_?

"You think I'm pretty?" She fluttered her lashes, and turned her back, pulling her hair over her shoulder.

"You're okay, I guess, for a girl," he said grudgingly. He stood, examining the zipper ending just between her shoulder blades. It drew the fabric snugly across her back.

"How sweet." He could hear the irritation in her voice. "Anyway, a couple of guys offered, but I turned them down."

"Why?" He tugged the zipper, carefully easing it down.

"Because," she sighed as the fabric parted, giving her what was probably her first decent deep breath all night, "there's already someone I'm interested in. I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression."

He _almost_ got angry about it, until he remembered how she'd whispered his name so sweetly in her sleep. He eased the zipper all the way down to the base of her spine, and the fabric parted, exposing her bare back. Oh, god, she really _wasn't_ wearing underwear under that tiny dress. He drew his fingers down her back gently, marveling at the warm softness of her skin. It was like touching warm silk, she really _was_ that soft all over.

"Gippal?"

"Yeah?"

"You can let go of my zipper now."

Oh. Oh, right. Because that was what he'd been doing. Unzipping her dress.

"Thanks." She held up the bodice of the dress, turning to face him with a bright smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you!" She pressed her lips to his cheek, then, holding the bodice of the dress to her breasts, fairly skipped out the door.

Gippal sank down on his bed, knees shaky, fingers trembling.

She really _was_ going to kill him. He just _knew_ it.


	4. Chapter 4

"What _are_ you doing?"

He looked up from his prone position on the couch. She was frowning down at him, a pillow under one arm, and the other fist planted firmly on her hip disapprovingly.

"I'm taking a nap." He laid his head on his folded arms, stretching out his legs to take up as much space as possible. He figured if he was on the couch, _she_ couldn't sleep there, thereby removing the quickly escalating level of temptation she provided daily.

"But that's where _I_ sleep!"

"Tough shit." He turned his head, facing the back of the couch.

Something landed on his back, warm and heavy.

"Hey! What the…?"

"Shut _up_, jerk." She shoved his shoulder. "Whoa. You're way tense." Her legs settled on either side of his waist and her hands pressed on his lower back, feeling her way up his spine. Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of his hair, pulled his head back, and shoved the pillow beneath it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, kid!"

"I'm going to give you a back massage." She shifted a little, tugging on his collar. "Could you take off your shirt?"

"No fucking way." He had to nip this crazy idea of hers in the bud _right now_.

"Maidenly modesty does not become you, Gippal." She leaned over him, her breasts pressed against his back while she slid her fingers beneath him, searching for the buttons on his shirt.

"You've got precious little of it yourself," he said, squirming when she hit a ticklish spot. He was _dying_ to touch her, but he knew it would be a bad idea, so he clenched his fists and kept his arms crossed beneath the pillow.

"Smart ass." She shoved the back of his head, mashing his face into the pillow. She tugged the edges of his shirt out from under him, her fingers brushing the muscles of his stomach as she did so.

"Watch your hands, kid!"

"Suck it up and take it like a man," she quipped. "Lift your arms. I can't get your shirt off when you've got your arms crossed."

"No cooperation. I didn't ask you to jump on my back and crush me," he mumbled into his arms.

"Did you just call me _fat_?" She jabbed him in the side, wiggling her fingers against his stomach.

"Stop that!" He fished her hands out from under him, choking back laughter. Her fingers slipped from his grasp and the next thing he knew his shirt was sliding off.

"Youth wins again!" Her triumphant exclamation drew an indignant huff from him.

"Did you just call me _old_?"

"Practically ancient." There was an amused note in her voice as her warm hands settled on his shoulders.

"I'm _only_ a year older than you!"

"A year and seven months. That's virtually a _lifetime_."

"Yeah, to a kid like _you_, maybe," he snorted. She dug her fingers into his shoulders. "Are you trying to _kill _me?" He protested.

"Just working out the knots," she said innocently. "You should stop being so cranky. It's making you all tense."

"I am _not_ cranky!"

"Oooh, _somebody_ needs a nap." She was strong for a girl – her fingers relentlessly chased away the tension in his shoulders, his neck, his back. She pressed firmly, rubbed smoothly, pounded away the stress and frustration of weeks past.

"I _don't_ need a nap." He resented her insinuation, but he didn't really want to pursue an argument any further. It was comfortable and soothing, and really, how else was he going to get her to touch him?

She didn't respond, didn't say anything for several minutes, and it was nice. Nice to have a quiet moment where they weren't arguing and he wasn't trying to figure out the most direct route into her pants. Nice to have a moment when she wasn't being so sexy that he clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails cut little crescents into his palms while trying not to touch her.

He closed his eye. It really was a nice spot to nap, he could see why she liked it too much. Not too warm, not too cold, soft and comfortable, and not in direct sunlight. Perfect. He'd have to commandeer it more often. Especially if it got her on top of him.

Whoa, bad thoughts, bad thoughts.

He squeezed his eye shut tightly, trying to force himself to think of anything but _that_. Machines. Astrophysics. People who talk at the theatre. Large mammals. He should be thinking about _anything_ but Rikku.

"You're getting tense again." She pressed firmly between his shoulder blades, working her fingers up and down his spine. "Why don't you try to go to sleep or something? You work too hard."

Only because she was driving him crazy.

But it was a good idea. If he was asleep, he wouldn't be thinking about Rikku and all the things he'd like to do with her. So he relaxed and let her continue her massage.

Minutes dragged by. He didn't know how long it had been since she'd first jumped on his back, or even how much time had elapsed since last she'd spoken to him. Still her hands stroked soothingly over his back, although she wasn't actively working out stiff muscles any longer.

"Gippal?"

He didn't answer. If he stayed quiet she would probably think he was asleep and leave him alone for a while.

She was silent for a moment. Then, finally, she sighed and slowly bent forward, brushing her lips very softly against the back of his neck.

"Why won't you just give _up_ already?" She whispered. Her warm breath fanned against his ear, and he had to fight the tingle of excitement that raced up his spine.

Carefully, so as not to wake him, she lifted herself off of him, tiptoeing quietly away from where he was _supposed_ to be sleeping on the sofa. A few moments later, he heard the soft 'click' of her door closing and then shortly after the rush of water through the pipes in the temple. She was in the shower. He sat up slowly, confused.

What the _hell_ had _that_ been about?

--

He got out of Djose that evening, headed for Luca and his favorite bar. He just _had_ to get away from Cid's girl. Because, of course, she'd come parading out of the long-ass shower she'd taken in a scandalously short towel, bemoaning the fact that all her clothes were in the laundry room, and she'd have to go get them. And of course she'd still been wet and glistening as she sauntered through the temple, little diamond droplets of water sliding down her arms, her legs, her flushed throat. It was enough to drive a man to drink.

Which was _exactly_ what he intended to do.

There was something soothing about the rowdy atmosphere of the bar. It was so loud that he could hardly hear himself think, which was more along the lines of a blessing nowadays. He spotted a couple of familiar faces in the crowd as he made his way to the counter and took a seat. Probably they'd come find him in a few minutes, and he wanted to be well on his way to a peaceful oblivion when they started asking the inevitable questions about Cid's girl, his new lead mechanic.

Sure enough, about halfway through his second beer, Tidus and Yuna squeezed through the crowd. Tidus clapped him heartily on the back, and, by way of greeting, said: "So, has Rikku gotten you into bed yet?"

Gippal choked and Yuna kicked Tidus on the shin abruptly.

"Ouch!" Tidus glared at his wife. "What the hell was _that_ for? It's _been_ a week, hasn't it?"

"But _not_ ten days yet," she whispered furiously.

"Oh. _Oh_." Tidus flushed, obviously embarrassed. "Well, just forget I said anything. We'll talk next week, huh?"

"Like hell." Gippal swung around to face the both of them. "I think you'd better tell me just what the _hell_ is going on."


	5. Chapter 5

Gippal didn't know what to believe. If he could trust the information he'd pulled out of the very reticent Yuna, Cid's girl had been deliberately teasing him for the past week. But he'd have _sworn_ she didn't know any better. She'd always seemed so innocent to him. Could it _really_ be true?

Not that he'd be disappointed if it was. Because if she _had_ been doing it all on purpose, it meant he actually stood a chance with her. More importantly, it meant _no more cold showers_!

So how was he going to find out for sure? It wasn't like he could just say _oh, by the way, kid, your cousin seems to think you've been trying to seduce me for the past week, so if you'd like to come and sit on my lap I'll be more than happy to help you out with that_.

Yeah. Right. Because if it _wasn't_ true, she'd hightail it out of Djose faster than a chocobo with its tail on fire, and he'd sure as hell never see her again.

So what the hell was he going to _do_?

He'd expected her to be asleep when he got back – it _was_ quite nearly three in the morning. But of course she was wide-awake, sitting on the kitchen table, sucking on a lollipop. Her thin camisole only barely covered her breasts, and the tiny pair of shorts she was wearing left little to the imagination.

"What're you doing up?" He kept a safe distance away. If he touched her when she was dressed like _that_ he was afraid there wouldn't be any stopping him.

"Waiting for you. I wanted to ask you something." The candy had stained her lips a bright red, and he couldn't seem to draw his gaze away from them. Maybe it was just the alcohol, but his knees felt shaky.

"Did you?" He _had_ to sit down.

She licked her lips. He missed the chair and ended up sprawled rather ungracefully on the tile floor.

She giggled. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. He searched her face, but her eyes were wide and innocent. He pulled himself to his feet.

"I went to a bar in Luca tonight," he said. "Yuna and Tidus were there."

"Were they?" Something flickered in her gaze.

"Yeah." He moved a little closer. "Yuna sure had some interesting things to say about you."

Her eyes widened just a little, and her mouth dropped open in surprise. She'd given herself away. And, oh, god, he was _thrilled_.

He pounced. There was no other word for it – one moment he was there and the next he had her pinned down to the table, his hips between her legs. One hand had captured both her wrists, stretching them out above her head, and the other was sliding under her hips, fitting hers to his. Her lollipop had fallen to the floor, forgotten.

She was warm and soft under him, and her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. A soft, satisfied sound left her throat, and her eyes half-closed. A little smile lingered about her lips. God, he'd only ever _imagined_ this in the past, but the reality was _so_ much better than the fantasy.

His lips slid across her fluttering pulse, and she purred her approval in his ear.

"You know," she whispered, "Paine said you wouldn't last longer than ten days. That's only two days from now." Her hips rocked against his, and her tongue traced the shell of his ear. He shuddered. Two days. He didn't _want _to wait two days. He wanted her now, on his freaking _kitchen table, _where damned near anyone could find them.

"It's really a shame that they _bet _on you like that." Her voice was warm, amused, but husky with desire.

He wasn't fooled. She'd probably encouraged their little game, and had played one of her own with him. His fingers inched their way beneath her camisole. She gasped in his ear.

"Paine'll be ecstatic. She's _always right_, you know."

And he'd never hear the end of it.Damn. She'd pricked his pride. He never backed down from a challenge. Two days. That wasn't so far away. He could wait two days.

More importantly, two days would be _more_ than enough time to give her a taste of her own medicine.

Smiling, he pressed his lips to hers, tasting the cherry-flavored lollipop and the underlying sweetness of Rikku. Then he lifted himself off of her – no mean feat considering she didn't seem to want to let him go. He surveyed his handiwork. She was beautiful lying there, flushed and disheveled. She sat up slowly, readjusting her camisole, which had inched up to a positively indecent height when he'd jumped her.

"So?" She folded her arms, awaiting his answer.

He kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Night, kid. _Sweet dreams_." And, oh-so-casually, he turned his back and walked away.

-

One day. Just one more day, and then she could have him. God, she was regretting taunting him. She should've _known_ he'd take the bait and then use the time getting back at her. And he had. Quite well. Several times.

She'd had to be subtle about _her_ seduction attempts, but now that it was a mutually understood thing between them, he obviously felt no such compulsion.

In fact, he'd seen nothing wrong with pressing her up against the wall and sliding his hand down her skirt. He'd ground himself against her rear, holding her against the wall with his body pressed against her back. She couldn't even touch him from that position, but he hadn't seemed to mind. He'd just slipped his fingers inside her and stroked her until she'd shuddered and come, crying out her satisfaction, fingernails scraping the rough stone of the temple wall. And he'd kept her there, pinned against the wall, until her ragged breathing had evened out. Then he'd turned her around, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her until she'd gone all breathless again.

And then he'd just up and walked away. Like they hadn't been making out as if the world was ending. Like she hadn't felt him hard as rock against her thigh. Like she hadn't been clutching desperately at his shoulders, hoping he'd take her upstairs to his bedroom.

And _that_ wasn't even the _worst_ of it. Because a few hours later, she'd brought the mail to his office for him to look through, and he'd calmly locked the door behind her, tossed the mail onto his desk, and shoved her down on the couch. He'd quickly divested her of her clothing, and gone down on her like he was starving and she was his favorite dessert. And when she'd been begging him to just get naked and get _inside_ her already, he'd gotten up – coolly composed and frustratingly unruffled – and casually taken a seat at his desk, rifling through the mail as if she _wasn't_ naked and waiting on his couch.

She could've _screamed_. But she knew he'd just remind her that what goes around comes around, and she'd brought his revenge on herself. And besides, it wasn't like she wasn't _enjoying_ it. She'd just enjoy it a lot more when he got around to the best part.

And of course every time he got near her she got all shaky in the knees, because she never knew just when he was going to drag her off to make love to her some more.

And of course he knew _exactly_ what was making her behave so oddly around him, and found it exceptionally amusing. He persisted in teasing her, touching her whenever he could, kissing her whenever he felt like it, whispering suggestive little fantasies in her ear whenever he got close enough. And always she kissed him back, shivered with desire as his words ran through her like an electric current, and stared at him with those worshipful bedroom eyes. He knew she wanted him to take her to bed and she knew he wanted it, too, and they both knew that he was going to make her suffer for her deception just a little longer. Not that it could _actually_ be called suffering. Not when they were both enjoying it so much.

It was a _game_…and they were both winning.

- -

It hadn't taken _too_ long for her to start fighting back. Eventually she'd started seeking him out and had dropped herself into his lap while he'd been poring over paperwork, and he was surprised enough to let it get too far. He'd managed to get his shirt off and had started on the buttons of his pants when she'd nibbled his earlobe and whispered _only seven hours left_. Well, he'd frozen as if she'd dropped an ice cube down his back and unceremoniously dropped her right off of his lap onto the carpeted floor. And really, her undignified shriek had been _incredibly_ satisfying.

The only problem was that she could cause a _hell_ of a lot of trouble for him in seven hours, and she set about proving it. He wasn't safe _anywhere_. He'd even locked himself in the bathroom when he took a shower because he didn't trust her not to slip into the shower with him, and, while not such a bad thing in and of itself, he was _going_ to make it to midnight. Even if he had to lock himself in his goddamn bedroom. And that was just not something he felt he could accomplish if somehow they both ended up naked in the shower together.

But she kept _sneaking up on him_. And it was really counter-productive, because she'd work her small hand down his pants and, well, they'd end up right where they'd been last time.

"Gippal…"

And there she was again, sliding her arms around his waist while he was folding laundry. And sure enough, slowly her fingers drifted towards his waistband. He dropped the pair of shorts he was holding, and brushed off her hands. He turned quickly, picking her up by the waist and setting her on top of the washer. She wrapped her legs around his waist, scooting forward to plaster herself against his chest. Her fingers slid through his hair soothingly.

"Hey." He caught her face in his hands and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "You've got to stop this or I'm not going to make it to midnight."

She gave a husky little laugh. "One little kiss. Please?"

He relented. "Just one. Then it's hands-off, okay?"

"I make no promises." She grinned.

He made a little annoyed sound in the back of his throat. "You're going to kill me, you know that?" But he kissed her anyway, a tiny, chaste brush of his lips against hers. Her fingers clawed his shoulders.

"Gippal!"

"You _said_ a little one."

"You know what I meant!" She leaned in again, but he pulled away.

"No can do." He pried her legs from around his waist.

"Gip_pal_." She locked her arms around his neck.

"Rik_ku_." He frowned down at her.

"_Fine_." She thrust out her lower lip petulantly, hopping off the washer. "_I'm_ going to bed." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey, kid."

"What?" She was still pouting, but she looked _adorable_. He checked the clock quickly.

"I'm waking you up in an hour and twenty minutes."


	6. Chapter 6

Twenty-seven minutes. The seconds ticked by with horrendous slowness. Gippal stared at the clock, watching the second hand stutter through its paces. He kicked off his boots and rested his bare feet on the top of his desk. For half an hour he'd tried to pass time with paper work, but he'd since given up the half-hearted attempt at keeping busy.

He knew he wanted Rikku, and he knew Rikku wanted him. But he didn't know where to go from there. He wasn't sure what it was that he wanted and he sure as hell didn't know what Rikku wanted. Was it really wise to just jump into bed with her, with Cid's daughter, with a girl he employed? Maybe they were blinded by lust now, but how would it be between them in the cold light of morning?

It could be fantastic between them – he'd never thought of having a live-in lover before, but he could see Rikku filling that position quite nicely – or it could go horribly, horribly wrong. Maybe they'd just be awkward, constantly on edge around one another. Maybe she'd _leave_ Djose. And then he'd lose a friend, a lover, and a really fantastic employee. And, god, what if _Cid_ found out? He had little doubt that if Cid ever found out that Gippal had been banging his daughter he'd get his balls shot off and hung on a pike outside New Home as a warning to other over-amorous men.

So where did that leave him?

He checked the clock again.

Twenty-two minutes from heaven…or hell.

--

Rikku heard the door open, saw a sliver of light cut across the room, felt the bed depress as Gippal took a seat on it. She rolled onto her back, stretching luxuriously, well aware of how she looked to him, relaxed back against the pillows. She drew up her knees, watching his face as the thin sheet covering her slid down, baring her breasts.

The sheet slid further down, and he watched the gentle slope of her stomach come into view. He lay down next to her, resting on his side, running his fingers over her silky skin, laying his palm across her midriff. The feel of her warm skin beneath his hand was somehow calming, grounding.

"You're a little…over dressed." Her nails raked across the rough fabric of his shirt, her foot brushed against his pants-clad leg.

"Yeah. We need to talk."

"Talking is overrated." She twisted towards him, sliding her arms around his neck, drawing her body up against his. Her face dipped against his throat, nuzzling his neck. He shifted, making a place for her in the cradle of his arms.

"Is this going to be a one-time thing?" He brushed her bangs back from her face.

"I guess that depends on how good you are." She giggled, walking her fingers up his chest, working the buttons of his shirt. He caught her fingers in his, holding them securely.

"I mean it. I'm not going to sleep with you if it means ruining our relationship. We live together, we work together, and if we're going to _sleep_ together, I want to know what I should expect from this. I'm not going to regret it – I just want to be sure that you won't, either."

"Do you give all of your women this talk?" She arched an eyebrow.

He sighed. "You're not going to be one in a line of many, okay? You're not…you're not a Saturday night pick-up because I need a woman. You're a friend, and probably way better than I deserve." He took a deep breath. "And if your old man ever finds out, I'll be dead. Deader than dead."

"Pops never leaves Bikanel," she said. "And anyway, he doesn't run my life."

"Yeah, but he could sure as hell make _mine_ miserable. I would like to _keep_ all the body parts I've got left."

She giggled. "I think you're just a little paranoid." Her fingers slipped through the gap in his shirt, rubbing delicately over his collar. He eased her backwards, looming over her, hoping she'd see the seriousness of his inquiry and his need for reassurance.

"If this is going to change things, I need to know. I want you here in Djose. I don't want to give you an excuse to run off."

Her grin broadened. "You can't _honestly_ think I'd just take off." A little laugh escaped her. "You don't scare me, big man."

"So tell me." His palm cupped her cheek, tilting her face to his. "Tell me nothing's going to change."

She shrugged. "Who can say? I'm no psychic. I can't see the future." She arched up, sliding her leg along the length of his. "Having second thoughts?"

Not when she looked like that, totally unfazed by his odd behavior, so sure of what she wanted, not at all concerned with what the future might hold. She wasn't going to make him any promises, tell him any pretty lies. She was real and she lived in the moment and she had no regrets. Of course she would have no regrets. He should've known it.

Probably she saw his answer in his face, because she laughed that soft, husky laugh again, wrapping her arms around him. She dragged his head down, touching her lips to his, gently tugging his lower lip with her teeth. Her legs moved restlessly under him, and he let her have a little more of his weight, keeping her right where he wanted her.

"Why me?" He whispered the question at her ear. "You could have damn near anyone you want. Why _me_?"

She made a little disapproving sound. "I don't want to _talk_ anymore," she said, tugging his hand off her hip and up to her breasts. "_Touch_ me already, Gippal."

His thumb rubbed across her nipple, and she shivered. Her eyes closed and her teeth caught her lower lip. He watched emotions flicker across her face. She quickly grew impatient with his inactivity.

"Gippal, I've been _waiting_ for this, and you're not even _doing_ anything!"

He stifled a laugh. She'd _always_ been like this, so impatient, so impetuous.

"I'll make you a deal." He said it against her throat, where he dropped a kiss. "You talk and I'll touch."

"Talk about what?" She'd forgotten already.

"Why you chose me," he reminded her as his lips found the curve of her breast, then her nipple. He heard her strangled little gasp, felt her fingers dive into his hair to hold him there.

"I don't know why," she said in a rush, "I just…I just…well, there was this one day you were working on a hover in Bikanel and you just looked so…so…I don't really know but I wanted you so _much_."

He nipped her hip and soothed the tiny mark with his tongue, drawing a little shocked cry from her.

"I think it's your hands."

_That_ got him. "My _hands_?"

"Yeah." She bit her lip. "They're so…strong. Capable. There's nothing you can't do. You can fix anything, make anything, _do_ anything. It's sexy."

"So you like my…hands." He sounded a little skeptical.

"Yeah, well, your face isn't that bad, either." She grinned. "And I sort of have a thing for your butt. It's fabulous." Her hands inched down his back, as far as she could reach, which wasn't quite far enough to get a hold on his aforementioned fabulous butt.

"Well, it's nice to know that you don't just want me for my hands," he said dryly. He rested his cheek on her flat stomach, sliding his hands up her ribcage to cup her breasts. Her back arched just a little, and her breath caught.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" He nuzzled her soft, smooth stomach.

"Yeah. I'm not as oblivious as you seem to think I am."

"I never thought that," he argued automatically.

"Gippal," she sighed patiently, "you tried to give me the _sex_ talk."

"Yeah, in a desperate bid for self-preservation." He kissed her navel. "Not that it actually worked, or anything."

"Could you maybe take off your shirt?" Her fingers brushed his collar, seeking the buttons of his shirt. "It's probably going on twelve thirty now. We're behind schedule."

"We've got all the time in the world." But he turned to the side, deftly unfastening the buttons of his shirt, shrugging out of it.

"Ah." Her palms settled on his chest, running up over his shoulders. "You're so…warm." She leaned over him, sliding a leg over his hips. One of his hands cupped the back of her head, pulling her down to meet his lips and the other wrapped around her waist. He nipped her earlobe, drawing a low moan from her. Her fingers dipped beneath his waistband, slipping under his boxers. He groaned as her small hand stroked him, then slowly closed around him.

"Rikku," he gasped, "if you keep that up, this is going to be over before it even starts."

"Mmm." Her lips tilted up in a little smile. "_You're_ the one who's still dressed."

She had a good point. _She'd_ been naked since the get-go, ready and waiting for him. He rolled them over, shifting her towards the middle of the bed. She must've known what he was about, because suddenly her fingers were fumbling with his buttons, shoving his pants and boxers down over his hips. He helped her, kicking his pants off onto the floor at the foot of the bed.

Carefully he settled over her, letting her lock her legs around his waist. Her breath sighed out shakily, and her eyes closed, black lashes fanning white cheeks.

"Gippal," she sighed as his lips touched her cheek, her forehead, her temple. He wasn't quite sure what had shifted, how they had gone from the urgency they'd felt in the past two days to the strange tenderness of the moment. It didn't make sense, but it felt _wonderful_.

His cock throbbed against the smooth softness of her stomach, and he wondered if she could feel it. He'd never wanted anyone like he wanted her.

"Gippal, _please_." She was getting impatient again, arching her hips against his.

"We haven't done anything yet." His hand slid between her thighs, probing delicately, whispering across sensitive flesh. She made a strangled little sound as his fingers found her, slid inside. She was hot and slick and tight and he _burned_ for her. Her inner muscles clenched violently around his invading fingers, and her fingernails dug into his shoulders.

"I've been like this for two whole days," she whispered, rocking against his fingers. "I'm _sick_ of waiting." Her voice was high, tinny, anguished.

That was all the permission he needed. His lips bussed her forehead as he lifted her hips, positioning her. Then he bent towards her, slowly, carefully easing his way inside. She made sweet little noises as he filled her, taking up residence inside her, reveling in the sensation of sharing her body.

"Oh, god, Rikku." He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to come right then and there, buried so deep inside her that he was _sure_ they'd never come apart.

"Ahh." Her head fell back on the pillow, throat working convulsively. "It's _good_."

"_So_ good," he said. "Better than good." He tugged her hips, wanting to be as deep inside her as possible. "_Amazing_."

She made tiny mewling sounds in his ear, her nails raking his back. It hurt – he'd probably have marks from it in the morning. But the pain was a small price to pay for so much pleasure. And the expression on her face was clearly one of ecstasy.

She braced her feet on the footboard of the bed, arching her hips to meet his thrusts, gasping as he nipped her earlobe and kissed the sensitive skin of her throat. She turned her head to the side, exposing the graceful column of her neck for him. He sucked the delicate flesh, drawing blood to the surface, leaving a small red bruise that was bright against her tanned skin.

His hips worked slowly, smoothly, and he bit the inside of his cheek with each firm thrust. He couldn't remember ever being this hard, this desperate. Something about her brought out the worst in him…and the best.

"Gippal," her hands shifted from his shoulders to his back, locking around him. A little whine built in her throat, and her hips arched rhythmically against his. She was so _close_.

But he didn't want her to come yet. If she did, she'd take him with her, and it would all be over. He wanted her to remember this night, to come back to him, to share his bed and his temple and his life. And he didn't want to think about all that entailed just yet. Just now he wanted to live in the moment, loving Rikku.

"Not yet," he whispered in her ear, holding her hips firmly, slowing their frantic race for satisfaction. "Not just yet, honey." He smiled against her ear, marveling at how easily the endearment came, feeling her nails dig angrily into his back.

"_Gippal_," she cried, "_please_."

One of his hands found the place where they were joined, rubbing delicately over her clit. She arched up, gasping. Inside, she pulsed around him. It was almost – but not quite – enough. Her legs twined about his hips, moving with him. She sobbed his name and her entire body trembled against him. He kissed her forehead, her cheek, her trembling lips, and she whispered her need, burying her face in his throat. He touched her _there _again, stroking in perfect rhythm with his thrusts. She came apart, screaming her satisfaction, clutching him desperately.

Her release fed his, her silky inner muscles clenching around him. He thrust sharply, pinning her beneath him as he came, shuddering in her arms as her nails scored his back.

Her lips touched his temple, tasting salty sweat. He was still panting, hot bursts of air puffing out against her shoulder. Her limbs were weak, her muscles were clenched and a little sore. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, echoing the heavy thud of her own. He was heavy – six feet plus of solid muscle keeping her pinned to the mattress, but she wouldn't have moved him for the world. But finally he must have realized his weight was probably too much for her, because he relaxed, rolling onto his side and taking her with him. Though obviously sated, he seemed reluctant to let her go, and she was perfectly content to stay wrapped up so securely in his arms.

The air in the temple quickly cooled their sweat-soaked bodies, and she sighed, burrowing deeper into his arms and the covers he'd yanked up around them. She'd been wrong before. _This_ was the best part. His leg wrapped over both of hers, his warm breath stirring the hair at her temple, his arms holding her close to him. There was something so comforting about it, so safe about it.

Like maybe it meant more to him than just sex. Which was a little bit scary, and a little bit okay. Probably their relationship could withstand being more than friends but less than true lovers. Probably they could enjoy each other without the ties of a romantic relationship. Probably he didn't even want her in _that_ way.

"Rikku." His lips found hers and his tongue slipped between her lips, encouraging her participation. He twisted them beneath the covers, holding her so every soft line of her body was plastered against the hardness of his. Already he was hard and pressed against her stomach, and already her body was melting against his, preparing itself for his inevitable invasion.

She had a feeling it was going to be a _very_ long night.


	7. Chapter 7

"What's going on?"

Gippal jerked in surprise, banging his head against the undercarriage of the hover he was working on. Grimacing, he slid out from under it, holding a hand against the wound.

Rikku snickered.

"Here." She brushed his hand away, pressing a cold can of soda to the red mark on his forehead.

"Thanks." He held it there, unfastening the first couple of buttons on his shirt. It was just past noon and the temperature had shot sky high, an unusual occurrence in Djose.

"Nevad said you'd been out here for hours. I thought maybe you could use a drink," she said, smothering a yawn.

"You can't be tired," he said incredulously. She shrugged.

"Yeah, well, you hogged my bed all night," she complained. "And we stayed up half of it, anyway. A girl's gotta get her beauty sleep."

He could've told her she didn't need it, that she was already beautiful, but somehow it would've been strange. And he was already feeling a little…weird. Hesitantly, he pulled the soda can away from his head, wondering if he should just thank her and drink it or make some passing attempt at conversation.

Her lips twitched a little, and she shook her head in consternation.

"You are so awkward," she said. "Man, and you were the one who was all anal retentive about things being weird!"

"I'm not…I'm _not _awkward," he defended, climbing to his feet. "I'm just…" _Awkward_. "Adjusting."

"Adjusting to what?" She looked thoroughly amused.

"To…to…I don't know, really." To them. To the subtle shift in their relationship. To things _kinda sorta maybe _being a little different between them. "I don't want to be weird."

"Well, you're a lot weird right now." She had one hand on her cocked hip, looking sassy and appearing to enjoy his discomfiture a bit too much to be comforting. "You should probably work on that a little bit."

"Not_ helping_." He frowned down at her. She pinched his cheek, and when he protested she stood on her tiptoes to kiss the spot.

"I'm having lunch with Paine and Yunie in Luca," she said. "So I'll be out most of the day. See you in a few hours, weirdo. I'm borrowing your hover, by the way." She jingled his keys, which she must've filched from his pocket sometime during their exchange. He hadn't noticed.

Lips tilted up in a satisfied smile, she turned away and headed for his hover, which was parked just outside the garage. He grabbed her wrist, abruptly jerking her back. She stumbled, and he took advantage of her dubious footing to pull her up against him. One arm locked around her waist, holding her securely as he slanted his mouth over hers. He liked the way she went all soft against his chest, her fingers sliding up to cling to his shoulders. He wished he had the time to take a break from repair work and concentrate on Rikku.

"So," he said a few minutes later, with his lips pressed to her ear. "Have I earned another night?"

She shivered, peeking up at him through her lashes. Her lips pursed thoughtfully for a moment, as she mock-considered his proposal.

"I suppose so," she said finally, her voice soft and warm.

Satisfied, he kissed her temple and slowly released her. "Be safe," he said. "Don't wreck my hover."

She snorted. "As if. I'm a better driver than you are."

"A matter of opinion." He watched her saunter towards the door, hips swaying smoothly. "Don't be too late getting back."

"I won't." She smirked, something she must've picked up from him. "You'll be waiting for me, right?"

"Yeah." He watched as she paused in the doorway, twirling a stray lock of hair between her fingers. "Yeah, I'll be waiting."

--

"So spill already!" Yuna nicked a dumpling from Rikku's plate as she spoke, popping it into her mouth.

"I fail to see how my love life is any of your business," Rikku remarked primly as she snatched a piece of sashimi off Yuna's plate in retaliation.

"All I care about is winning that bet," Paine responded. "I couldn't care less about the contents of Gippal's trousers or what you do with them. I spent months with the man in the Crimson Squad; there are things about him I am just_ not _interested in hearing."

"Well, _I_ want to know all the juicy details," Yuna announced. "Nobody ever tells me the good stuff."

"Yunie!" Rikku gasped. "You're a summoner-"

"_Former_ summoner," Yuna corrected. "I'll have you know I know all about sex. I'm not a nun, you know. I've got a husband and a son and it would be nothing short of miraculous had I managed all that without learning a thing or two about sex. Besides, aren't girls supposed to gossip about their significant others?"

"_Please_." Rikku wrinkled her nose. "Gippal's not my _significant other_. He's just…" she waved her chopsticks vaguely, "…_Gippal_."

"Yeah, _Gippal_, of the fabulous hair and fantastic body and butt like granite," Yuna clarified.

"Yunie!" Rikku admonished, scandalized.

"What? I'm married, not _dead_." Yuna rolled her eyes. "I'm allowed to admire. I'm just not allowed to _touch_."

"If Tidus found out you were admiring Gippal, he'd-"

"He wouldn't let me leave the bedroom for a week, that's what he'd do." Yuna grinned. "You _know_ how competitive he is. He'd spend a whole week convincing me that he's a better lover than anyone else I might be 'admiring'."

"I don't need to be hearing this!" Rikku's chopsticks clattered onto her plate as she covered her ears.

"Oh, shut it." Yuna poked Rikku in the side with her chopsticks. "It's not like you weren't banging Mr. Fabulous Buttocks until the wee hours of the morning."

Rikku flushed guiltily.

"Oh my god." Yuna's mouth dropped open. "Oh my god! You _were_ banging Gippal! You really _were_!"

"As if there was ever any doubt," Paine interjected dryly. "And, Yuna, you needn't be so crass."

"I'm a grown woman, I can say 'banging' if I want to. And that's not all I can say!"

"Yunie!"

"Oh, hush." Yuna slouched in her chair, folding her arms petulantly.

"You know," Paine began. "The last time you got like this, you were pregnant with Rio. Have you got another bun in the oven?"

"Who's crass, now?" Yuna stuck her tongue out at Paine. "And my gestation - or lack thereof - is none of your business. We're straying from the issue at hand!" She slapped her palm down on the table. "Rikku, for the record, did you or did you not do the horizontal mambo with Gippal?"

"Yuna!"

"Yunie!"

"Tell me or I'll think up some particularly crass words for male gentalia!" She looked like she was just dying to shed her goody-two-shoes image, and Rikku did not particularly wish to be the person responsible for the disillusionment of all of Spira. Shelinda was probably lurking just around the corner with a picture-sphere, and she could just image the tabloid headlines - Is Former High Summoner Pregnant? Bonus: Lady Yuna Says 'Cock' and More!

"Fine, okay, we slept together. So what?"

"So...who won?" Paine leaned in closer.

"Neither of you." Rikku grinned. "Gippal is made of stronger stuff than you gave him credit for."

"Woohoo!" Yuna pumped her fist in the air. "Now I don't have to pay Paine!"

Rikku extended her hand expectantly. "But you _do_ have to pay Gippal. On account of he won, and all."

"That's not fair! He wasn't even involved!" But Yuna dug in her purse for her wallet anyway.

"I told him all about your bet," Rikku said smugly. "And he held off the appropriate length of time. I think he's entitled to something."

Paine tossed over some gil, which Rikku promptly pocketed.

"Why, thank you, ladies," she said. "I've got to get back to Djose. Gippal's waiting."

"Oh, sure!" Yuna called after her. "Just run away! I've got a commsphere, you know! I know where you live! I still want those details, Rikku! Rikku? You can run, but you can't hide! I've got a kid, I know all the best hiding spots!"

--

"Ten gil?" Gippal looked at the coins in his palm disbelievingly. "You're telling me they only bet each other _ten gil_? I endured over a _week_ of torture for _ten lousy gil_?"

Rikku winced, tugging on one of her braids. "Well, _technically_ it was five gil a piece I collected from them."

"_Five gil_?" He climbed to his feet, dropping his screwdriver into the tool chest beside the hover he was working on. "I cannot even _express_ how tempted I am to turn you over my knee and paddle you right now."

"Me!" She backed away. "_I_ wasn't the one who _bet_ on you!"

"Yeah, but you _started_ this whole betting business." He approached steadily.

"Don't you even think about touching me with those greasy fingers!" She backed into his workbench, shrieking as he lept forward, bearing her down on it. She held onto his shoulders as he lowered her gently down, sliding his cheek against hers as he searched for her lips. He held her down with one hand on her chest, smearing dark engine grease all over her.

"I thought you were supposed to be spanking me?" She asked breathlessly between kisses.

"Mmm. Change of plans," he murmured. "Remind me later."

She giggled. "Yeah, right. _That's_ gonna happen."

He swiped his fingers across her face, leaving a trail of grease and delighting in her indrawn breath and fierce glare.

"That wasn't very nice," she complained.

"It sure _felt_ nice," he teased, nibbling her lower lip. He allowed himself a few minutes with Rikku to relax, to recharge from his long, hard workday. And it still wasn't over. He groaned, climbing off the workbench. He helped her up, pleased to see she _looked_ as disoriented as he _felt_.

"I've gotta get back to work," he said regretfully. "Might be a late night. You mind?"

"Not at all. I've got plenty to keep me occupied." She touched her cheek, glaring when her fingers came away grimy. "I think a shower'll be first on my to-do list. If you got any grease in my hair, I swear I'll take it out of your hide."

"I think you took it out in advance last night," he replied. Her brows knitted in confusion. He laughed, cupping her chin for one last kiss before he got to work. "Remind me to show you my back tonight," he told her. "You tore it up with those sharp little claws of yours."

"I did?" Underneath the engine grease her face had turned a startling cherry red.

"You sure did. I've been sweating like crazy, and let me tell you, sweat _stings_ when it hits raw skin." He brushed his nose against hers. Maybe _two_ last kisses wouldn't hurt.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!"

"Don't be. I don't regret it." Okay, so _three_ last kisses, and that was _it_. "Go take your shower. I'll find you when you're done."

She wrinkled her nose. "Take one of your own first. You smell like a _boy_."

--

When he finally did find her, it was so late that it could more appropriately have been called _early_. She was asleep, of course, all tucked up comfortably in bed. Probably she'd fallen asleep waiting for him.

His whole body ached. He didn't usually spend so much time in the workshop, but they'd had things in desperate need of repair, and _someone_ needed to do them. Still, it was a shame he'd wasted the night - he'd only bargained with her for one, and he'd spent it in the workshop. Probably she'd be terribly angry with him.

He slid silently between the cool sheets. After such a long day, a soft bed felt like heaven.

She stirred beside him, stretching a little as she slipped towards wakefulness.

"Mmm. I fell asleep," she murmured. "What time is it?"

"Early," he replied, easing close to her. She settled against him, plastered comfortably against his side, warm and soft. He stroked her hair soothingly.

"You showered," she noted sleepily, burying her face in his throat.

"Yeah." He yawned. "I'm exhausted."

"Poor baby," she said sympathetically. "You worked so hard. Get some sleep."

"Here?"

"Mmm. You don't want to leave, do you?" She curled an arm around his neck.

"Not really, no." He'd just never considered that she'd want him in her room just to s_leep_. "Is that okay?"

"I wouldn't offer if it wasn't." She relaxed against him, sighing a little as she settled in. In just a few minutes she was fast asleep again, breathing deep and even.

And he thought that with her being so sweet and caring, even just the _sleeping_ was nice.


	8. Chapter 8

She traced the shell of his ear, watching his nose wrinkle up in irritation. In his sleep he tried to brush her hand away, making a little annoyed sound in the back of his throat when she wasn't deterred.

He twisted onto his stomach, hiding his face in her pillows. His back was exposed. He was right, she really _had_ done a number on his back - long, red scrapes adorned his skin, running from about mid-back nearly to his shoulders. She scooted forward a little, brushing her fingers gently across the red marks. He didn't give any indication that touching them had hurt, so she leaned down and touched her lips to one, right over his left shoulder blade.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," she whispered in his ear. "It's morning already."

The room tilted and spun, and she found herself lying on her back underneath him. So maybe he hadn't been quite as _asleep_ as she'd thought he'd been.

"No, it's not," he mumbled into her hair, slipping his arms underneath her.

"It is, too." Her fingers slid through his hair caressingly. "It's light outside. I can see the sun."

"You're imagining things." He dragged the covers over both of them, shutting out the sunlight streaming in through the window. "It's the middle of the night."

"You didn't even get to bed until almost three," she said. "It's almost ten in the morning. Time to get up and get to work."

"Middle of the night," he repeated. "Besides, even if it _were_ morning, it'd be the weekend. No reason at all to get up early on the weekend."

"You know, just _saying_ it's the middle of the night doesn't _make _it the middle of the night," she giggled.

"It does if you're the boss."

"Okay, I'll concede the point." She giggled as his rough cheek brushed across her shoulder. "So. It's the middle of the night. What now?" He was pressing kisses to her stomach, his night's growth of stubble tickling her sensitive skin.

"Well, now I'm not so tired."

"And?"

"Now I can do what I _wanted_ to do last night." His legs slid between hers. He enjoyed the way she shifted to accomodate his hips and then sighed so contentedly. Like she wasn't comfortable without him there, holding her so intimately.

"What did you want to do last night?" she murmured. Her eyes were closed; she was concentrating on the feel of him between her legs, brushing the most sensitive part of her. She worried her lower lip, digging her nails into his shoulders.

"_You_, dummy." He swallowed her little gasp as he pressed forward, nudging his way inside her. Her nails flexed - she was going to tear up his back again, he just _knew _it.

She sighed his name as he completed his downward thrust, biting her lip as he buried himself to the hilt. He didn't want to move yet. She fit him so perfectly it almost defied belief. He'd thought that their lovemaking had been so perfect the first time only because they'd managed to work themselves into a frenzy of anticipation. He'd thought it impossible to reach such a pinnacle again, that he'd overestimated their compatibility.

But when he was fighting not to come after just that one stroke, it had to mean more than that he was just really, really horny. He wanted her like he hadn't wanted anyone before. And it sort of scared the shit out of him.

She grew impatient with his lack of progress, rocking her hips against his, trying to coerce him into some sort of motion. He hissed, holding her hips in place as he struggled for control.

"Rikku, I'm gonna come if you don't stop that," he said. She laughed a little, delighted with his apparent inability to control himself where she was concerned.

"So? You'll make it up to me, I'm sure. As I recall, you've got _excellent_ stamina."

And of course, she was right.

--

Twice more she'd agreed that he'd earned another night. After that, he'd stopped asking. Her door was always unlocked for him, and she always made him more than welcome when he crawled in bed with her after all the other workers had gone home. They'd settled into a comfortable routine of sorts, and no one was particularly surprised at their antics.

And all the workers had learned after a time or two that if the two of them went missing for any length of time, it was better to wait for them to reappear than to go looking for them. Gippal especially wound up more than a little cranky if he got interrupted pre-coitus, and none of the workers much liked a cranky boss.

But most of the workers found that Gippal was decidedly more mellow now that he wasn't being constantly tortured by Rikku. And with Gippal spending more time Rikku and less time in the workshop, the regular workers' efficiency soared. Gippal kept Rikku out of trouble, and Rikku kept Gippal out of their hair.

And Gippal enjoyed her company. The more time he spent around Rikku, the more he found himself making excuses to see her, thinking up little ways to make her smile, finding reasons to kiss her, to touch her. Generally he found that maintaining romantic relationships required too much time and effort, and often his girlfriends grew irritated with his lack of committment and his preoccupation with his work, but Rikku understood and accepted it. She never had hissyfits because he'd forgotten some sort of special date, she never complained when he came to bed past midnight while he was working against a deadline, and the sex was always, always, _always_ fantastic.

She was completely comfortable filling the position of friend _and_ lover, and she made relatively few demands on him. And what demands she _did_ make he was more than happy to fulfill. He liked that they could share the same bed, the same shower, the same _everything_ and still go to work together as equals, working side by side, laughing and joking and yeah, occasionally kissing.

She was perfectly attuned to him. She knew when he needed an afternoon of mindblowing, stress-relieving, hot-and-wild sex, and she knew when he needed to fall in bed and cuddle for a couple of hours. She knew when he was grouchy and in desperate need of a back rub, and she knew when he needed her to climb on his lap and distract him from the piles of paperwork on his desk. And, best of all, she indulged all his little fantasies of her and him and _them_.

He was _still_ reeling from the time she'd tugged him out of the workshop after everyone else had gone him and told him that, if he was up to it, she'd help him live out his kitchen table fantasy.

His eyebrows had shot up. "How'd you know about _that_?"

She'd laughed. "Come _on_. You thought I was _that_ oblivious? You were always staring at me with those_ hungry _eyes. I _totally _knew you wanted to bend me over the table and have your way with me."

"And you didn't tell me this like a _month_ ago why?"

"I wanted to see if you'd bring it up on your own." She'd perched herself on the table, looping her arms around his neck.

"I probably would have, eventually," he'd said. "I just didn't want to scare you off so soon."

She'd eyed him skeptically. "Sex on a kitchen table is supposed to scare me?"

And she'd definitely had a point. Rikku was not the sort of girl to be intimidated by just anything. And, well, if she wanted to have sex on a kitchen table, by god, they were _going_ to have sex on a kitchen table.

So he'd come to the astounding conclusion that she was _perfect_. She was adventurous, funny, smart, sexy, indulgent and sweet. She was wonderful in every way except one - she was content with their friends-with-benefits relationship, and he wasn't. Not anymore. He hadn't been content with it for nearly three weeks now, since the day she'd brought Yuna's son Rio back to Djose to babysit for the day, and he'd realized how natural it was to see Rikku with kids. She obviously loved them. He did, too - it was just one more way in which they were compatible.

Only, he'd come to the completely shocking and somewhat disturbing conclusion that he wanted Rikku as _more_ than just a fantastic sex partner. He'd seen how she was with Rio. The towheaded little boy looked so much like her; It was so _natural_ seeing her hold him, balanced on her hip, his chubby arms around her neck. Then he'd realized that she _should_ have kids. Rikku wanted them; he knew that much. She'd always talked about having a big family someday. She would _definitely_ want a whole passel of kids.

And he wanted to give them to her.

And _that_ was when he'd panicked.

Of course, Rikku had worried about him when he'd complained of a headache and locked himself in his room all day. She'd tried to lure him out with food, with sweets, with promises of backrubs and a shared bubble bath, but she'd failed all around. She'd given up only after he'd told her he was sure he'd be feeling better by nightfall.

His feelings for Rikku confused him. He'd never wanted children with a woman before. He'd never been so thoroughly captivated by a woman before. But even if _he_ wanted kids, even if _he_ was beginning to want something more than the companionship they now shared, it didn't mean that _she_ did. And that was somewhat scarier, that maybe even if he wanted her for keeps, _she_ might not want _him_.

It knocked the breath from his lungs. She _had_ to want him. Maybe she'd never said anything about a relationship exactly, but that didn't mean she didn't want one. Maybe she was waiting on him. After all, he was _notoriously_ fickle when it came to relationships. Maybe she'd just been waiting for him to make up his mind.

Maybe he'd have to take her up on that offer of a bubble bath after all. If he could scrounge up some candles and dig a nice bottle of wine out of the pantry, he'd have the perfect romantic setting. Then they'd be exclusive, together, in a _real_ relationship. And maybe in a year or two, they'd settle down, get married, and have a couple of kids.

Strangely enough, he didn't break out in hives at the thought.

If a romantic relationship with Rikku was anything like this friends-with-benefits thing, he had the feeling he was going to enjoy it.

--

"This is nice," he murmured in her ear, reaching for the glass of wine he'd set on the side of the tub.

"Of course it's nice. All of my ideas are nice." She let him hold the wine glass so that she could take a sip, then rested her head back against his shoulder. "I'm glad you're feeling better," she said. "You make a good pillow."

"Ah, so I'm being used."

"Mhm. But it's not so bad, is it?" She leaned up to kiss his jaw, walking her fingers along his arm. "You did a nice job with the candles, by the way."

"Thanks. I thought you might like it."

"I do." She shifted a little in the water, and her smooth legs slid against his. As long as he lived, he knew he'd never forget the sight of her, candlelight turning her skin to a shimmering golden glow, settled up against his chest so comfortably.

He curled an arm around her, pleased to find that she returned the gesture, sliding her arm around his neck as she twisted in his arms to face him. Her lips touched his cheek, her fingers brushed his temple and slid into his hair.

"You _are_ feeling better, aren't you? I was worried."

"I'm fine," he said, his hands on her small waist. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and he couldn't think clearly when her lips were so close to his.

"You looked pale earlier. Are you _sure_ you're okay? Maybe you're coming down with something."

He cut off her chatter with a kiss, distracting her from her worried speculation. After a minute, she relaxed against him, either satisfied that he wasn't sick or too involved in kissing him to care.

"Rikku."

"Hmm?" She tugged his lower lip with her teeth, and he almost forgot that he had questions for her, now that he'd gotten the mood all set.

"What are we?"

"People."

He laughed. "No. I mean, what are we _together_. Are we...more than just friends?"

She shrugged. "We get along well. And the sex is fantastic." She leaned in to kiss him again, but he stopped her with his fingers on her lips.

"I _really_ want to know if this is going anywhere," he said. "I want to know what I can expect from this. Fantastic sex is all well and good, but don't you ever want a real relationship? What about all those kids you always talk about having?"

She backed off a little, her fingers tightening on his shoulders. She was surprised by the unexpected line of questioning, and it showed. "Does it really _have_ to be going somewhere? I mean, you're not really the model of a stable boyfriend, Gippal. Your girlfriend turnover rate is _ridiculous_. I imagine you'd get bored of being attached in two weeks. Can't we just have really great sex and leave it at that? No jealousy, no expectations, no strings?"

He gritted his teeth. Somehow this was just not how he had imagined this conversation going.

"So you'd be okay if I were going around with another girl, then?" He was irritated and it showed.

"That's not what I _said_," she replied. "I don't like to share. I wouldn't sleep with you if you were involved with another girl."

"What if I wasn't _involved_? What if it was just more hot, meaningless sex? What about that? It wouldn't bother you?" he pressed. An injured expression crossed her face. He was trying to unsettle her, and she knew it. She just couldn't imagine _why_.

"Why are you _doing_ this?" She asked. "Why couldn't you just...just leave well enough alone?" She jerked a towel off the side of the tub, standing unsteadily and swiftly tucking it around her. She stepped out of the tub, winding her hair up as she moved towards the door.

He grabbed the remaining towel, wrapping it loosely around his hips.

"Rikku." He touched her shoulder, but she shrugged his hand away. "You can't just _walk away_," he said. "Look, we'll just drop the subject for now, okay? So don't be mad anymore."

She wouldn't look at him, and it made him nervous. "Just...leave me alone for a while, Gippal. Okay?" She didn't wait for his answer - she just walked right out the door. A few moments later, he heard her bedroom door close. He wondered if she'd thought to lock it.

--

Rikku had no idea where Gippal had gotten the disturbing notion that he wanted a relationship with her. Gippal didn't want a relationship with _anyone_, not _really_. That was what made him a safe fuck-buddy, the fact that they were in no danger of falling in love with one another. Or so she had thought.

They liked each other well enough, they enjoyed one another's company, and they certainly enjoyed each other in bed, but _why_ had he needed to bring _relationships_ into it? They didn't _need_ to have a relationship. Relationships were messy. Neither of them handled _messy_ very well.

She hugged her pillow, curling up in the dark. It was weird to think that Gippal was pondering a relationship with her. And also a little sad. None of his _relationships_ lasted very long, and she wasn't yet ready to let him go. Eventually she expected they'd go their separate ways, but she didn't want to go the way of his previous girlfriends so quickly. And she had little doubt she would. Gippal didn't really want a girlfriend. He was committment-phobic. He disliked anyone having too big of a claim on his time.

They would last only so long as there were no strings attached, no expectations. She knew it, even if he didn't.

She heard the doorknob turn. She hadn't locked the door. She wondered if she'd _forgotten_ to lock it, or if subconsciously she'd _wanted_ him to come after her.

She said nothing as he closed the door behind him, nothing as he approached, nothing as he slid into bed next to her, nothing as he brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have pushed it at you like that. Forgive me?"

She hugged the pillow tighter. "Yeah," she said softly.

His arms slid around her, pulling her back into the curve of his body. "Thanks for not locking me out."

"Don't get used to it." She turned a little in his arms, pressing her lips to his. Maybe she was a little worried, a little confused, and a little mad at him still...but he could make her forget about it.

--

So Plan A had been a resounding failure. He had two choices left. He could wait and hope that maybe someday she'd discover some sort of previously unrecognized affection for him, or he could try to get her to stake her claim on him by making her jealous. If she was as posessive as he imagined she was, she'd quickly warn off any woman she imagined was trespassing on what she considered to be her 'territory'.

Maybe it was a somewhat juvenile plan, but if it got Rikku to accept that she had to have _some_ sort of feelings for him, then it would be well worth it.

So the next day, when an attractive female customer brought in a machina to be repaired, he made sure to be extra attentive. He knew he was good-looking, and he knew the woman was flattered at his attention, and he knew she was playing up to him as well.

And furthermore, he knew it pissed off Rikku, who as working on modifying some racing hovers just a few feet away. He could tell by the decidedly angry clomping of her boots on the workshop floor that she was irritated. He expected her to warn off the woman who even now was clinging to his arm, making casual mention of the fact that she had no plans for the evening.

But she didn't say a thing. While she _did_ shoot several poisonous glances in his direction, she finished her work and left the workshop without saying a word.

And _that_ irritated _him_. She _knew_ he was attached to her, she _knew_ he wanted more than just a casual friends-with-benefits relationship with her. He _wanted_ her to make a fuss, he _wanted_ her to tell off the other woman. He wanted her to admit that _she_ wanted _him_ exclusively, even if it was just for a while.

So while she was sulking in her room, he went to a club with the woman from earlier. His heart wasn't in it, and she seemed to recognize it, because eventually she found a group of her friends and let him know she'd be going home with them. Which was fine by him - he wasn't interested in her. The only woman _he_ was interested in was back at Djose, probably slipping poison into his good whiskey.

He stayed out late, brooding irritably by the bar. When he finally did make the short trip back to Djose, he was resigned to apologizing and assuring Rikku that he hadn't slept with the woman - hadn't even _wanted_ to sleep with her. Hell, he couldn't even remember her _name_. Possibly Rikku would make him grovel a little before forgiving him. He _would_ grovel, if necessary. She was probably entitled to make him a little miserable in retaliation.

The lights were out at Djose; she'd probably gone up to bed some time ago. Wearily, he climbed the stairs, stopping in front of her door. Light slid out from beneath the door - she wasn't asleep as he'd previously thought. He steeled himself for her anger and irritation, and twisted the knob.

--

Rikku had heard him climb the stairs, heard him stop in front of her door, heard his heavy sigh. She heard him turn the knob, and heard his short intake of breath when it didn't open.

She wondered what he was thinking as he turned the knob again with the same result, wondered what he was thinking as he realized that it was locked, that she'd locked him out for the first time.

Knowing Gippal, he was probably wondering if he had a spare lockpick on hand, if she'd be angry with him for forcing the lock.

It had been a surprise that he'd come to her room at all; she'd expected him to take that pretty brunette back to his room for the night. After all, she'd been clear - she _didn't_ share. He couldn't expect to come back to her when he needed to fuck, when it wasn't convenient for his other women. She was nobody's last resort. Maybe she didn't want a relationship, but she'd expected a certain amount of fidelity while they were sleeping together, and if he couldn't offer her that, then they wouldn't be sleeping together.

He twisted the knob one last time, a little harder, and she burrowed under the covers. She didn't want to think about Gippal, she didn't want to mourn the loss of their friendship.

Because he'd been right after all - it _was_ going to affect their working relationship. She was mad, she felt betrayed and insecure and that wasn't just going to go away.

She heard his rough sigh as he gave up, and finally she heard his retreating footsteps as he walked away.

In the morning, she'd call Cid and ask for a transfer.


	9. Chapter 9

"I want a transfer." 

"No can do." Cid didn't even pretend to consider the idea.

"Vydran, I like my job, but I don't _need _the money," Rikku warned. She didn't want Cid to have any illusions about his authority. He might _technically _be her boss, but she had _plenty _of money these days. She could afford to take time off of work if it wasn't working out. She was a valuable asset as a mechanic, as an engineer, even as a fiend-hunter. There were always ample job opportunities, especially for a two-time heroine.

"You're sayin' you'll quit?"

"If that's what it takes. I won't stay in Djose." She said it firmly, and Cid knew his daughter well enough to know that when her mind was made up, there wasn't any force in all of Spira that could sway her. He sighed.

"All right, come back to Bikanel, then. On a temporary basis only, though. You're needed in Djose, and I imagine Gippal will be comin' round to get you soon enough." He dusted his hands off on his pants. She wasn't going to like it in Bikanel – it had changed since Home's destruction. They were still salvaging materials from the desert, desperately collecting parts and scraps to sell in order to earn the money they'd need for rebuilding Home. It was hard work, backbreaking labor. Hopefully she'd give up and run back to Djose in a few weeks.

"When I'm no longer needed in Bikanel, I'll take off work for a while. I have no intention of ever coming back to Djose. Gippal won't be coming to get me. I'm not needed here."

Somehow, Cid wasn't too sure of that. He'd heard the gossip about the two of them. Gippal reminded Cid a great deal of himself, and Rikku was definitely just like her mother. Cid would never have let Rilla just take off without a fight, and he'd bet good money that Gippal wouldn't let Rikku go, either. But he doubted anything _he _said would make much of a difference to her.

"All right, suit yourself, then. I'll let Nhadala know to expect you," he sighed.

--

"Coward."

Rikku stiffened, turning around abruptly. Gippal was leaning against the doorframe, scowling.

"Excuse me?"

"I called you a _coward_," he repeated. "Didn't you even have the guts to face me? You were just going to sneak off like a thief in the night, with me none the wiser. How are you _not_ a coward? Honestly, I expected something more from you, Rikku."

"I don't _owe_ you anything," she said. "I'm transferring to Bikanel, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't take it personally."

"But it _is _personal, and we both know it. Besides, you didn't ask if I'd approve your transfer. You're needed here." He shrugged away from the door. "You can't leave me short-handed."

"I don't need your approval," She said irritably.

"I'm your _boss_. Damn straight you need my approval."

"I _don't_ work for you. I'm an independent contractor. Cid gives me assignments, and I choose which ones I want. I'm transferring to Bikanel and there's not a damn thing you can do about it." She slung her bag over her shoulder, heading down the stairs into the foyer.

He followed, seething. He couldn't believe she was so willing to just throw him away like garbage. For god's sake, all he'd wanted was a relationship. Weren't girls _supposed_ to want them? What the hell was _wrong_ with her? Why couldn't she just behave like a _normal _girl for once? Was the thought of being in an exclusive relationship with him really _that _off-putting?

"Rikku, could we just _talk_ for a minute? Please?" He swallowed down his anger and hurt. If he could just get her to talk and then really _listen _to him, maybe he could change her mind.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said. "I _told _you I wouldn't share. Forgive me if I don't want to be around when you bring home your other conquests."

"_Other conquests_?" He choked. "_What _other conquests?"

"What _else_ would you call that woman from yesterday?" She spat.

He was startled into laughter. "Rikku, I didn't sleep with her. I didn't even _want _to sleep with her. I went out with her because I was hoping you'd tell her off." Suddenly her temper tantrum was beginning to make a lot more sense to him. She wasn't leaving Djose because she didn't want a relationship with him; she was leaving because she was _jealous_. Maybe she hadn't warned that woman off of him like he'd wanted her to, but she was sure as hell _angry_ about it.

"Look, I don't care whether you slept with her or not." She sighed, swiping her bangs out of her face. "It's none of my business, anyway. It's not like we're _dating_ or something."

"We could be." He was smiling. He couldn't help it; if she was jealous , it had to be because she _wanted_ him. Quite possibly as more than just a lover. She was possessive – maybe it wasn't love, but it was definitely more than indifference.

"We could _not._" She glared at him. "What in the world could _possibly_ make you think I would be interested in dating you?"

"Oh, just the little fact that you're _jealous_." He watched shock cross her features as that particular barb hit home. She paled a little, and her mouth fell open as she struggled to find the words to deny his little taunt.

"I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous?" She tucked her hair behind her ears, a nervous habit. "I'm _not_ jealous."

"You're repeating yourself."

"If you ever _listened_ to me, maybe I wouldn't _have_ to repeat myself," she snapped. She wanted to wipe that smug little smirk off of his face. She _wasn't _jealous, she was _pissed off_. Definite difference.

"If _you _ever listened to _me_, maybe _you'd_ realize that there is absolutely _no_ reason for you to be jealous," he replied.

"I am _not-_"

"_Jealous_, I know." He grabbed her hands, tugging her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her so tightly that for a moment she couldn't draw breath. Then he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "Have fun in Bikanel. Don't stay away too long, or I'll have to come get you." He let her go and headed for the kitchen.

"This _isn't_ a vacation, Gippal. I'm going for good!" She was so frustrated with him she couldn't see straight. Just when she thought she knew exactly what he was up to, he turned around and did something completely different than what she had expected, and it confused the ever-loving _shit_ out of her. Why couldn't he just behave like a _normal_ guy for once?

"Have fun," he repeated, as he reappeared with a can of soda. "You'll miss your ferry if you don't get going. I'm sure Nhadala'll be expecting you soon."

She threw up her hands in irritation, and left.

--

It was hard work; she'd known that when she'd insisted on taking the job. She'd known the hours would be long and the labor would be wearying and that Cid was going to be watching her like a Zu for any sign of weakness, so he'd have an excuse to try to send her back to Djose.

She didn't really _enjoy_ working in the desert, but there was something satisfying about succeeding on a dig and hearing people exclaim over her discoveries. It was worth the pain and the aches to know that the workers could use the parts she'd recovered in the desert to build parts of New Home, or to sell for funds to hire workers. It was satisfying to do her part.

And even if it _had_ only been a week, she was sure that once the blisters had hardened to calluses, she'd be able to put in even more time. And the more time she could put in, the less time she'd have to think about Gippal and that girl he'd _claimed_ he hadn't slept with.

Not that she actually _cared _about that. It was just that he'd made her so _angry_, and the thought of him with another woman the way he'd been with her was infuriating. How _could _he? When she was in the same temple, when _she'd _been faithful, when _she'd _been willing and eager to sleep with him? She'd told him she wouldn't share, and he'd gone _anyway_. That was as good as telling her he didn't care at all.

Viciously she jabbed her shovel into the sand, clearing it away at a frantic pace. It was blisteringly hot outside; she'd have to get back to the plane, and soon. Finally she found the part she'd been digging for, tucking the special gear into the pouch at her waist, and hurried back to the waiting plane.

Nhadala was waiting for her when she returned with her prize.

"You've got a visitor. I stuck him in your tent," she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "You look like you could use a break. I'll give you the afternoon off."

Rikku knew Nhadala was probably coddling her on orders from Cid, but there was no way she was going to pass up a couple of free hours. She trudged back to her tent, grateful to escape the midday sun, wiping the back of her neck with a cloth. She was hot and sticky and she wanted nothing better than to head on over to the Oasis and spend a few hours in the cool, clean water. But first she'd have to deal with her visitor.

She shoved back the cloth over the entryway, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness of the tent. When her vision cleared, she started in surprise.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She gasped. "And get out of my chair!"

Gippal propped his feet up on her desk, much to her chagrin. "I missed you," he said. "I came to find out if you're ready to come home, yet." He folded his arms behind his head.

"If you mean _Djose_, I'm not going back," she said irritably, rounding the desk. She pushed his feet off her desk, then shoved the back of the chair forward to dump him out of it. "I've got work to do," she said, "so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

"Liar," he taunted, grinning. "I heard Nhadala give you the rest of the day off. You just don't want to talk to me."

"Fine, you caught me," she agreed. "I _don't _want to talk to you. _Now _will you leave?"

"No." He scooped something off her desk, presenting it to her. "I brought you flowers."

"_Flowers_?" She looked at the straggly bunch of weeds skeptically.

"I picked them myself," he said. "D'you have _any_ idea how difficult it is to find flowers in Bikanel? It took me damn near two hours to come up with these!"

She believed him. He looked so ridiculous offering up the pathetic little bundle of stray blossoms that she stifled a giggle.

"Why didn't you just _buy_ some?" She asked finally, when she was sure she'd gotten her regrettable inclination to laughter under control. "You can find them in Luca quite cheap."

"Yeah, but it doesn't _mean_ anything if you _buy_ them," he explained. "I actually put effort into getting these. They're not _pretty_, maybe. But I picked them just for you."

It was kind of _sweet_. Idiotic, maybe, but sweet nonetheless. She took them hesitantly. "Well…thanks, I guess."

"You _guess_?" He sighed miserably. "Well, are you ready to come home, yet?"

"I'm _not_ going back." She scowled. Was this whole _flowers_ charade designed entirely to get her back to Djose just so that he could have a steady bed partner again? He could get _that_ from that overly-friendly brunette. She'd probably be _more_ than happy to move in.

"Do I get a kiss, at least?"

"Don't push your luck." She busied herself filling a spare glass with water, setting the slightly-wilted flowers in it.

He sighed, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. "I was hoping…no, never mind. I guess it can wait," he said. "I should probably be getting back to Djose." He was watching her expectantly, as though he were hoping she might suddenly change her mind and spring into his arms.

"Probably," she agreed.

"I'll come back next week."

"Please don't." She didn't want him getting any ideas. She wasn't going to put herself back into that situation. Maybe she wanted him, but she wasn't ruled by her desires. She _didn't _want a lover who would run around on her. "I'm happy here. We would've gone our separate ways eventually, anyway. I don't hold any grudges. I just would rather…not be in Djose for a while." Until she recovered from his defection, at least.

"You're still mad," he said, "because you _still _think I slept with that woman."

Her nails bit into the wood of her desk. "I'm not mad," she ground out. "Do whatever you like. It doesn't matter to me."

He grinned. "Great. I'll be back next week, then." He leaned down, brushing a kiss across her cheek. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

She ground her teeth together in frustration, counting backwards from ten first in Al Bhed, then in Spiran, then in Al Bhed again until she was quite sure she'd successfully resisted the urge to follow him back to Djose and throttle him.

But she was too afraid she'd end up sleeping with him instead. It would probably be better to leave off on the revenge until she'd rid herself of her unfortunate desire for him.

--

"_I_ think it's sweet," Yuna said.

"_Irritating_," Rikku corrected. "The word is _irritating_, not _sweet_. He won't leave me _alone_." She speared a piece of chicken with her fork, chomping down on it angrily. "I can't _believe _it. I mean, I can't go a _day_ without him dropping by _just to say hello_ or bringing me flowers or candy or…or _lingerie_."

"He brought you _lingerie_?" Paine asked, wide-eyed.

"_Yes!_" Rikku cried. "I wouldn't take the box – I _was_ working when he brought it by, sorting parts right there in the middle of the camp – and because I wouldn't take it, he opened it _right there in front of everyone!_"

Yuna choked on her tea. "He _didn't_."

"I'm telling you he _did_." Rikku thumped her palm on the table. "I have never been so embarrassed in all my life!"

"Well, next time you'll take the box, right?" Paine asked. "After all, it's a harmless present. I thought you _liked _getting presents."

"It really _is_ sweet, Rikku," Yuna said. "It's like he's _courting_ you."

"_What_?" Rikku spluttered.

Yuna gestured with her fork. "He's expressing his affection for you. He's trying to woo you with tokens of his affection."

"Right," Rikku said sarcastically. "He's trying to _woo _me after going around with some other woman."

Paine snorted. "You are _so_ jealous."

"I am _not _jealous. Why does _everyone_ think I'm jealous? I'm _not_." She glared across the table at them, folding her arms over her chest.

"But you _are_ jealous," Yuna said. "You don't _know _whether or not he slept with that other woman. You didn't even want him spending time with her at all. You're jealous of her, and you're possessive of him."

"I'm _not._ I mean, you have to actually feel something for someone to be jealous, don't you?" Rikku defended. "I don't…I don't _love _Gippal or anything. He's good in bed; that's all."

"If you didn't feel anything for Gippal, you wouldn't have been bothered by the thought of him with someone else. But you _were_, weren't you? It hurt you. That's why you left Djose."

Rikku opened her mouth, but every argument had suddenly deserted her. _Did _she love Gippal? She hadn't _thought_ so. But the, why _did _it hurt so badly to think of him with some other woman?

"I think you're more afraid of commitment than he is," Yuna continued ruthlessly. "I think Gippal knows you better than you think he does, and I think he's not one to give up on something he wants – _when _he's decided he wants it, that is." Smiling sweetly, she popped another bit of steak into her mouth. "I think you'd better be prepared – I imagine Gippal will fight just as dirty as _you_ would."


	10. Chapter 10

"I'll give you three days." He wiggled three fingers at her. 

She was reading a book, seated on her bed, trying her very best to ignore him. He'd commandeered her chair again, and, as it was impossible to keep him out of a tent that had no door and therefore no _lock_, she'd decided the only way to go was ignoring him.

"Don't you even want to know what for?" he asked. He thought it was amusing how hard she was trying to ignore him, to get him to go away. She thought he didn't notice that she'd slide curious glances his way every time she thought he wasn't paying attention. She'd been staring at the same page in her book for almost an hour – she hadn't even thoughtto turn the page to keep up the illusion that she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Rikku." He sat down beside her. Her gaze flickered up briefly.

"You're in my light," she grumbled.

"You're grouchy today," he observed.

"You're _still _in my light."

"I'll give you three days to come home," he said, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "And then I'll take matters into my own hands. Fair warning, honey."

"Don't call me that."

"What, _honey_? Why shouldn't I?" He grinned as she tossed her book away in a fit of pique.

"I'm _not_ your _honey_," She clarified. "I'm not interested in being your _honey_. Just go back to Djose and leave me alone!"

"You're still mad at me, then?"

Damn right she was still mad at him! How could he expect to just be forgiven like he'd accidentally spilled red wine on a white carpet? You didn't _accidentally_ go out with some brunette tramp and then expect it to be _okay_.

"I'm not mad." She blew out a heavy breath. "I don't care what you do. It makes no difference to me."

He just grinned that arrogant, cocky, _stupid _grin until she wanted to throw something at him. She wished she hadn't thrown her book aside just a few moments before – at least _then _she'd had ammunition.

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings," he said. "But it makes me happy that you're jealous. I hoped you would be. I _wanted _you to be jealous."

That _wasn't_ reassuring.

"I know _I'd _be jealous if you went out with some other guy," he continued. "I'd probably call the guy out and deck him."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why?"

"Because you're _my _girl," he said. "I'd be jealous as hell if you started going around with someone else while we're in a relationship. There's no _way _I'd let you go out with another guy."

"But we're _not_ in a relationship," she said. "I'm pretty sure we've covered that issue before."

"Not to _my_ satisfaction," he replied. "I want to be with you. I know you're not indifferent to me. We're friends; we get along great. We have really, _really_ fantastic sex. Why shouldn't we have _more_ than that?"

He was crowding her back against the side of the tent and she didn't like it. She shoved him backwards, and all she got for her trouble was him pushing back, sandwiching her between him and the tent.

"Look, Gippal, you are just _not_ boyfriend material," she said. "We had good sex, and we got along okay, but it _can't _be any more than that. You'd get bored eventually, and I'd be…well, I just don't want to commit to someone who can't commit to me." She pushed against his chest, but he didn't move.

"What makes you think I'd get bored?" His fingers slid into her hair, caressing her scalp.

"You always do," she said. "I've never seen you in a relationship that lasted longer than two weeks." She shook her head, trying to dislodge his fingers. "Stop doing that."

"But you _like _it." He leaned forward, pressing his lips against her forehead. "You're so skittish, like you're afraid of something. What _is_ it that you're afraid of?"

_Him_. She was afraid of _him_. But she couldn't – _wouldn't_ – let him know that. Ever since Yuna had implied that she was in love with Gippal, she'd been anxious, worried that maybe she really _was _in love with him, and _terrified_ that he'd find out. Because maybe he _thought _he wanted a relationship with her, but he'd _also _thought he wanted a relationship with all of his other women, and look how _that _had turned out. And she didn't want to get herself hurt. Not by someone she might actually _love_. If she said yes, and two weeks later he gave her the _it's not you, it's me_ speech, she didn't know _what _she'd do.

Her heart hurt just considering the possibility. She _definitely _couldn't give Gippal that kind of power over her. He'd _always _been the love-'em-and-leave-'em type, and she wasn't at all interested in getting shoved aside like all of her predecessors.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm not afraid of anything. I'm just not interested, okay?" Her fingers clutched his shoulders – he was kneeling between her legs, holding her trapped against him, and she couldn't get the leverage to push him away.

"Rikku, honey." He said her name like a prayer, like she was _special_, like she was _important_. His lips brushed hers, teasing, tasting. The breath whooshed out of her lungs as he invaded her mouth, insisted her lips part for him. His hands tilted her head back to give him easier access. His tongue swept across hers, plunging deeply and tempting hers to return the gesture. Her nails scraped across the fabric of his shirt, and he shuddered. Abruptly he pulled back, taking in her heavy-lidded eyes, her swollen lips. He could hear the shaky breaths she took. He imagined he could hear the rapid beating of her heart.

"Liar," he said kindly, smoothing back her hair. "You've got three days to come home. Remember that."

--

He was making her nervous. It wasn't any one particular thing that he did, but a combination of seemingly innocent things that made her twitchy and anxious.

He'd taken up residence in Bikanel temporarily, having bribed one of the workers into giving up his tent. He spent long hours following her out to dig sites, assisting her (uninvited) in her work, and keeping a plentiful supply of water on hand so she didn't get dehydrated.

What was even _more _disturbing than his constant attendance was the fact that he'd been seen coming and going from Cid's tent several times over the duration of his stay in Bikanel. What he could _possibly _have to discuss with her father she didn't know, but she _was _worried about it. Gippal was just as devious as Cid was, and she didn't trust him any further than she could throw him. Specifically, she didn't trust the both of them _together_. That could lead to disasters of epic proportions. Who _knew _what havoc they could wreck on her life.

"Hey, princess. Ready to pack it in for the day?" Gippal's hand fell warmly on her shoulder.

Startled out of her thoughts, she glanced up to see the sun sinking over the horizon. A purple and gold sunset spread across the sky, and the temperature was slowly falling. It was definitely time to head back to camp.

She ignored him, heading towards the plane that would take them back. She wished she could manage to irritate him as much as he irritated her, but he seemed to be more like an adult indulging a pouting child. She definitely didn't want to be the pouting child, but she wasn't ready to stop ignoring him, either.

The flight back to camp was relatively short, but it seemed much, much longer, especially with Gippal constantly touching her, rubbing her shoulders (which _did _ache from all the digging), running his fingers through her hair (which went a long way towards soothing her mild headache, but _still_), and linking his fingers through hers. She tried to keep her fingers limp in his, but all too often she found hers unconsciously curling around his. She could tell he wanted to make something of it, but he wisely refrained from doing so.

When the plane touched down, she hopped out, wanting nothing more than to head back to her tent and go to sleep. She was too tired to head over to the fire pit and see what the cooks had prepared for dinner. Not that it was likely to be very palatable anyway. It was probably just as well she hit the hay.

She collapsed onto her small bed, sighing deeply. She didn't hear him come in after her – maybe he'd be leaving her alone for the night. She could probably have used the back rub he would've offered, though. Not that she would actually have _encouraged _him, but just lately he seemed to know when she really _meant _it when she said no, and when she didn't.

Some time later, she awoke when his hand stroked her hair.

"I brought you some dinner," he said. He had a tray on his lap that held a plate and a cup of water. "And some aspirin." He held out his hand, where two small pills lay on his palm. How had he known she had a headache? She didn't know, but she took the aspirin gratefully.

"Here, eat." He helped her sit up, transferring the tray from his lap to hers. "I've got something to do, so I can't stay. Hopefully I'll be back before you go back to sleep, but don't wait up for me." He kissed her forehead, and left the tent.

--

"I want something out of his deal, boy. I don't help no one for nothin'," Cid said as Gippal took a seat on the small couch.

"Well, then, let's get straight down to business. What are your terms?" Gippal eyed the old man shrewdly. He might look crotchety, but he was Rikku's father, and there was a _reason _he was leader of the Al Bhed. It took more than brute strength to retain that position. Cid had earned it, and he'd kept it for more years that Gippal had seen.

"Grandkids. I want grandkids." Cid sighed. "I'm not as young as I used to be, and neither of my kids seem to have an inclination to settle down and start providin' me with grandkids. That's what I want outta you, boy. I'll give you my daughter, and you'll give me some grandkids."

"How many are we talking about, here?" Gippal asked.

"Well, I could settle for twelve."

"Twelve! God, give a guy a break! Try four." _Twelve _kids? Did Cid want him _dead_? There was no _way_ he could keep up with _twelve _kids!

Cid narrowed his eyes. "I'll come down to ten."

"Well, then, I'll come up to six." Gippal crossed his arms, watching Cid intently for any sign of weakening resolve.

"Eight, and not a kid less!"

"Done." Gippal stuck out his hand, and Cid shook it firmly.

"I gotta tell you, boy, I think you're getting the raw end of this deal. She's not easily managed," Cid said.

"She's not managed at _all_," Gippal grinned. "But I like her that way. I'll take the keys, then." He held out his hand. Cid tossed him a set of silver keys.

"You take good care of that airship, boy. It's my wedding gift to _Rikku_. _You_ just come with the package," Cid grumbled.

"Yeah, well, you take care of yourself, old man. You gotta live long enough to see all those grandkids you want so bad." Gippal said as he headed towards the entryway. "Don't forget. Bright and early tomorrow morning. You'll probably have to speak for her."

"Don't you come running to me if she won't give you the time of day for a while. She's not going to be happy," Cid advised.

"Yeah, I know. I can deal with her. She'll come around eventually. I hope." He grimaced.

"I wouldn't worry _too _much. If she was really _that _mad at you, you'd be dead by now," Cid replied. Which really wasn't all _that _reassuring.

--

He was _damn lucky _that she couldn't lock him out, or there was no way he'd be able to get away with climbing into her bed in the middle of the night. It wasn't like there was a ton of extra room for him, either. She was crammed up against the side of the tent, annoyed at his gall, unable to escape the odd position she was trapped in, trying her hardest not to touch him or to let him touch her.

It wasn't like he didn't have his _own _tent with his _own _bed, temporarily at least. Why did he have to squeeze onto _hers_? She gritted her teeth in frustration. Did he think it was _easy _for her to ignore him when he did things like that?

He moved a little, his arm tightening a little around her waist, murmuring her name in his sleep, and she softened a bit. At least he wasn't dreaming about that sleazy brunette. That was a _little_ consoling, anyway. His warm breath on her cheek was oddly soothing. She _should've_ been uncomfortable, if only just on principle. But she wasn't, and _that _was maybe the most worrisome thing of all.

--

The sun on her face and his unsteady stride jarred her awake. He'd carried her out of her tent in her pajamas and was heading right through the middle of the camp.

A little shocked sound burst from her throat as she clung to his neck to keep her balance. "Holy crap! What the hell d'you think you're _doing_, Gippal!"

Several workers blatantly stared as Gippal obliviously carried her by them. Rikku was not, as a general rule, easily embarrassed. However, Gippal had managed to make them a public spectacle on more than one occasion, and she was not at all used to those sorts of scenes when they were beyond her control. And Gippal was nothing if not unpredictable.

"You know," he said amiably, "you could have avoided this if you'd just agreed to come back home with me."

"Oh, so it's _my _fault you're humiliating me in front of my father's employees!" She loosed one arm from around his neck to pound her fist against his chest. "Put me down, you big fat moron!"

"You know, I don't think I will." His arms contracted – he was literally _squeezing _the fight out of her. She couldn't do much more than wiggle her toes. He stopped in front of Cid's tent, ignoring Rikku's futile attempts at escape.

"Hey, Cid, are you up?" Gippal called.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on in," Cid called back. He pulled the covers out of the way, allowing Gippal to duck through the opening with Rikku.

"Vydran, would you tell this…this _stupid freaking idiot _to put me down!"

"Now, now, there's no need for name calling, honey," Gippal soothed.

"Don't call me that!" She shrieked.

"Settle down, the both of you," Cid ordered. "It's too damn early in the morning for your bickerin'. Now, what brings you here?"

"Well, it's your daughter, sir. She seduced me, and now she refuses to make an honest man out of me. As you might imagine, I take exception to that. She's dishonored me, and now she's got to make it right." Gippal said, straightfaced.

"Have you gone absolutely _insane_?" Rikku gasped. Gippal slid a hand over her mouth, muffling her further abuse.

"Don't get so worked up, honey. It's not good for the baby. Ow!" He drew his hand away from her mouth, grimacing. "She _bit _me!"

"_What _baby?" She wriggled in his arms in an unsuccessful escape attempt. "Pops, I _swear _I'm not pregnant!"

"But you _did _sleep with him?" Cid glared at his daughter, who flushed.

"_That _is none of your business!" She shot back angrily.

Cid glanced at Gippal skeptically. "You _sure _you want her? Never met a more bad-tempered female in my life. Even her mama wasn't that bad."

"Traitor!" Rikku scowled at her father. "Whatever happened to all your _blood is thicker than water, we gotta stick together_ crap!" Gippal hefted her over his shoulder after one particularly vigorous attempted assault on his nether-regions.

"Yeah, well, I've reconsidered. Gippal, you can have her if you want her. Consider yourselves married." Cid crossed his arms. "She's _your _responsibility from now on. Damn brat."

"You can't just _marry me _without my permission!" She cried.

"Sure we can," Gippal said jovially. "As elder _and _your father, Cid can speak for you. And he just did. Let's get going, _wife_." He fished a set of keys out of his pocket, striding resolutely towards the airship dock on the western edge of the camp. "You know, you _could've_ come back to Djose with me and gotten a romantic proposal and a fancy wedding. I gave you ample warning."

"That…that's just not _fair_," she grumbled.

"Who said anything about life being fair?" He asked. "I don't fight fair. I fight to win."

"You big jerk." She slumped over his shoulder, pouting. "I can't believe you did that."

"You done complaining?" He boarded the airship, bending a little to start the ignition and input the coordinates for Djose. After lift-off, he set the autopilot, and carried her back to the cabin. She hadn't been particularly violent since they'd boarded, but he didn't allow himself to be lulled into a false sense of security. Rikku, in a temper, was unpredictable.

He tossed her onto the bed and dropped down beside her. She rolled away, turning her back on him.

"I'm not talking to you," she said petulantly.

"Suits me fine," he replied. "Sometimes you talk too much."

"_What_ did you say?" She twisted around angrily, incensed. He laughed, kissing away her frown.

"You're not talking to me, remember?" He reminded her, brushing her disordered hair away from her face. Her silky pajama top had twisted around her midriff, exposing her smooth stomach. He kissed her navel, feeling the muscles of her stomach ripple beneath his lips.

"You can't do that!" She gasped, trying to shove him aside. His stubble _tickled_; she didn't want to ruin her fit of temper by _laughing _at him. How would he ever _learn_?

"Sure I can. You're my wife." His teeth tugged her earlobe, and she gasped.

"Don't _remind_ me."

"You're cute when you're angry." He nuzzled her throat, working the buttons of her top. "I'll have to make you mad more often."

"Do you have a death wish or something?" She wriggled away from him, but he caught her and pulled her back, cradling her in his arms.

"Someday, when you're not so mad at me," he said, "we'll get married again."

"Idiot," she said. "I didn't even want to marry you the _first _time. What makes you think I'd want to do it _again_?"

"Because I love you," he replied.

She froze, staring at him with wide eyes. Did he, _really_? Something in her went all warm and soft at the thought. It felt…nice. It was _nice _to be loved, to be wanted, to be something he'd fight for. He'd _married _her. That _had _to mean something. Maybe she meant more to him than she'd thought – maybe he really _was _finally ready to commit. Maybe he'd stop being such a playboy, and start being a _husband_.

"Besides," he continued blithely, "I promised your old man eight grandkids."

She ground her teeth together. He just _had _to open his big, fat mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey, honey, wake up." He dropped down on the bed beside her, jarring her awake. 

"Go _away_," she groaned, jerking the blankets over her head. "I just want to _sleep_. Is that so much to ask? That tiny little cot in Bikanel was _murder_, and _you_ hogged it half the time, anyway."

"It's not even noon, and you want to go back to sleep?" He peeled the blankets away relentlessly. She fought him for possession of the sheet, but he gently pried it from her clenched fingers. "Come on. We're already in Djose. You can sleep some more inside."

"Don't wanna." She was being childish and she knew it. But, goddammit, he'd _married _her, and she _deserved _the chance to make him at least a _little _miserable.

Only he _wasn't_. He wasn't anything but _amused _by her irritable demeanor. It was annoying and vaguely insulting.

"Our bed's waiting. Our nice, warm, comfortable, _big_ bed," he said cajolingly. His palm cupped her bare shoulder, fingers kneading her tight muscles. She relaxed a little into the caress.

"_Our _bed?" She inquired innocently.

"I'll be sharing it with you, so it's _our _bed." He brushed a careless kiss across her cheek. "I liked your room better, anyway."

"I'll lock you out." He _should _be working harder to make her happy. He shouldn't just _assume _she'd forgive him.

"That'd be a shame," he said, "since I already moved all my stuff in. What will I wear?"

"You moved into my room? _When_?" She shifted around to face him, angry all over again at his nerve.

"Just after you left Djose for Bikanel. Couldn't sleep in mine." He slid his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head. She clutched the sheet a little closer. She knew what it meant when he looked at her _that_ way.

"I thought maybe I'd just gotten used to sleeping in your bed," he continued. "So I moved back in. It didn't take even one night to figure out what was wrong."

"What, then?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

"I got used to sleeping with _you_." He kissed her cheek, gently pulling the sheet away from her. His leg slid over hers, one of his hands curved over her hip, pulling her against him. She ended up caught against his chest as his fingers crept beneath the waistband of her pajama pants. His lips touched her collarbone and her breath left her lungs on a little sigh.

"W-we can't do this," she whispered finally. "Not on my _father's_ airship." God, she'd never be able to look Cid in the eye again!

"It's not your father's airship," he replied, kissing the curve of her breast. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders. Did he think she was _stupid _or something?

"Idiot. I recognize it. It's definitely my old man's."

"I _mean_," he said, prying her sharp nails from his shoulders, "that it _no longer _belongs to Cid. He gave it to you as a wedding present."

Oh. Well, that was different, then. "Don't you mean he gave it to _us_?" she asked.

"No." He shook his head. "It's yours. He made that very clear."

Weird. "You didn't get anything?"

"Idiot." Now _he_ was chastising _her_. But he softened the insult with a kiss on the tip of her nose. "_You're _my wedding present."

She melted. But just a little. It wouldn't do to let him get the idea that he was off the hook. So although she relaxed back against the pillows and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, she frowned up at him.

"This _doesn't _mean you're forgiven," she said.

"Of course not," he said seriously, but the corners of his lips tilted up just a little. Stupid man. Was he _ever _going to take her seriously?

With a sigh, she admitted to herself that he probably wasn't. But he was _Gippal_. He rarely took _anything _seriously. It was one of the things she liked about him.

_No_, she corrected herself. It was one of the things she _loved _about him. But she wasn't about to admit it. At least, not before she was through punishing him.

---

"So, when're you going to tell him?" Yuna studied Rikku curiously as she cut into her eggs. Rikku didn't pretend ignorance. Rather, she shrugged gracefully.

"When I get done torturing him, I think." She popped a bit of egg into her mouth. "How'd _you _know?"

"You're avoiding the strawberries. Usually you can't get enough. They make you sick?" Yuna made a face. "For me it's oranges. I can't _stand _the smell of oranges."

"Did I miss something?" Paine regarded both women curiously. "I seem to be perpetually out of the loop."

Yuna and Rikku exchanged glances for a moment. "We're pregnant," they said in unison.

"Oh, god." Paine looked horrified. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"No." Rikku jabbed one of her eggs with a fork, watching the runny yellow yolk slide slowly across her plate. "I'm definitely pregnant. I wasn't as careful as I should've been."

"But you _love _kids." Yuna had thought she would've been thrilled. "_Gippal_ loves kids."

"Yeah, I do. I'm sure he does, too." She gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Oh, god," Paine said again. "Oh, _god_. There's going to be a little Rikku or Gippal running around soon. I don't think Spira is _ready_ for that." She covered her face with her hands. Rikku and Yuna ignored her.

"Then, what's the problem?" Yuna asked.

"Do you have _any _idea how _hard _it is to keep Gippal from noticing that I keep throwing up in the mornings?" Rikku sulked. "If he found out I was pregnant, you _know _he'd go bonkers. I bet he'd insist I give up riding hovers. _Then _how would I get anywhere?"

"You could fly your airship," Yuna observed.

"Yeah, and he'd insist on coming along all the time." Rikku rolled her eyes. "It's bad enough that he asks me to marry him _again _ten times a day. I swear, that man doesn't even _know _when he's being punished."

Yuna giggled. "You're right; he'd probably be a little over-concerned. But could you blame him? It's his first kid. He _does _deserve to know. And really, if you love him, Rikku, isn't it time you let him know you've forgiven him?"

"He was an ass," Rikku defended. "A high-handed, overbearing _ass_."

"But you _love _him," Yuna said.

"And you're going to have his demon-child," Paine quipped. Rikku flung a piece of ice at her.

"Fine, _fine_," she grumbled. "I'll tell him."

---

"You look pensive." Gippal ran his fingers through Rikku's hair, kissing her temple. She sighed, setting her half-empty wineglass on the edge of the tub. She slid away from his between his legs, crossing her arms over the side of the tub and resting her chin on them. She sneaked a glance at him.

"I _might _have something to tell you," she said slowly. He chuckled.

"_Might_?" he asked."So, what _might _you have to tell me?"

She sighed again. He would be _happy_. She _knew _he would. Or at least, she _hoped _he would. Maybe that was what bothered her. She didn't know for sure, and she _wouldn't _know until she told him.

"Rikku, come here." He held out his arms, and she leaned into them. He caught her up against his bare chest, locking his arms around her. Warm water swished up around them and gradually settled. Bubbles clung to her skin, vaguely rose-scented.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear, his lips stirring the hair there. She shivered a little. She always did when he said that. There was something almost erotic about it, about the way he said it.

"I love you, too," she said. And froze. Because she'd never said it before, not to _him_. A warm, heavy sort of peace settled over her, like maybe _that _was what had made her so uncomfortable as of late. That the big secret she was keeping from him wasn't her _pregnancy_, it was her _love_. Sooner or later he'd figure out that she was pregnant. But if she didn't _tell _him she loved him, how would he ever know for sure?

She could feel his smile against her neck. The fingers of his right hand linked with hers.

"Now," he said softly. "Isn't there something _else _you'd like to tell me?" And his left hand slid up over her hip, coming to rest right over her abdomen, caressing the skin there gently.

She spluttered. "How'd you _know_?"

"It was the strawberries," he said. "You stopped eating them. You _love _strawberries. Also, you're kind of _loud _when you're throwing up."

"But you gave me _wine_," she said plaintively. Had she _no _secrets from him?

"It's non-alcoholic," he assured her. "So, will you marry me now?"

"We're _already _married," she said.

"Yeah, but…" he hesitated, bringing her fingers to his lips. "The first time, _I_ married _you_ because I wanted to. I want _you _to marry _me _because it's what you want."

She smiled. Maybe he was a jerk sometimes, but he was _her _jerk, and that was all that mattered. And if he wanted to get married again, well, then they'd get married again. Besides, with _two _anniversaries there was some amazing gift potential.

---

Epilogue

He was already dressed by the time she _finally _rolled out of bed.

"You're _late_, sleepyhead," he said, ruffling her mussed hair as she yawned on her way to the bathroom. Actually, _waddled _would probably be more appropriate than _walked _at this stage of her pregnancy, but to say so would be tantamount to suicide.

When she emerged from the bathroom, he helped her into her clothing, and ushered her downstairs. He knew if they didn't hurry, they'd be late for their own wedding.

The trip through Kilika took _forever_, since they had to actually _walk _the streets. They made it to the venue almost thirty minutes after they were scheduled to start.

"Sorry we're late," Gippal said apologetically to the small gathering of people. "But _someone _had to stop _three times _to go to the bathroom."

"Well, _someone's child _is sitting right on my bladder," Rikku snapped back.

"Are you _sure_ you two want to get married again?" Baralai asked.

"_Yes_," they responded in unison.

"You'd think they would've gotten tired of it by now," Tidus sighed to Yuna. "But no, they just _keep _getting married."

Yuna held the hand of their seven-year-old daughter. Their son, Rio, now nine, was playing a board game with Rikku and Gippal's eldest child – a son, Soren, almost seven – in the corner of the room.

"I swear, they must have fifteen anniversaries by now," Paine remarked.

"Seventeen," Gippal blithely corrected.

"We get remarried every time I threaten to divorce him," Rikku explained.

"Ah," Nooj said. "He makes a lot of mistakes, then?"

"Only when she's pregnant," Gippal said. "This time, I – horror of horrors! – _burned the toast_."

Rikku suppressed a giggle.

"If he's so bad, why do you keep getting married?" Nooj, who had never married – despite Gippal's assertion that Paine was _perfect _for him – couldn't seem to fathom it.

"Because we _love_ each other." Rikku looked at him like he wasn't quite bright.

"Mama! Papa!" Rikku and Gippal turned towards the doorway as their two little girls – Zyda, five, and Tegan, three – raced towards them. Gippal caught them up in his arms – Rikku was too big around the middle to do much bending anymore. Cid followed his granddaughters into the room, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry we're late," he said. "The girls wanted to bring some flowers from the Moonflow for the ceremony." He hugged his daughter fondly, then took the girls to sit with the rest of the children.

"All right, now that we're all here, let's get this show on the road. Everyone ready?" Baralai asked.

As everyone settled down into their respective places, Gippal slid his palm over Rikku's stomach.

"How's number four?" he asked, kissing her cheek.

"Just fine," she said, hiding a smile against his shoulder. She hadn't told him yet, but in all likelihood, she was carrying numbers four _and _five. Gippal had had to miss her last doctor's appointment, the one during which the doctor had revealed that she'd thought she heard multiple heartbeats. She had an appointment in Luca with a specialist next week to be sure, one he'd _promised _to go to.

So until then, it was going to be her little secret.


End file.
